Introduction Carl F. and Gerty T. Cori

Abstract

Recent evidence indicates that several metabolic abnormalities developed during obesity are associated with the presence of dysfunctional adipose tissue. Diet is a key factor that modulates several functions of adipose tissue; however, each nutrient in the diet produces specific changes. Thus, the aim of this work was to study the effect of the interaction of the type (coconut or soybean oil) and amount (5% or 10%) of fat with the type of dietary protein (casein or soy protein) on the functionality of white adipose tissue of Zucker (fa/fa) rats. The results showed that soybean oil reduced adipocyte size and decreased esterified saturated fatty acids in white adipose tissue. Excess dietary fat also modified the composition of esterified fatty acids in white adipose tissue, increased the secretion of saturated fatty acids to serum from white adipose tissue and reduced the process of fatty acids re-esterification. On the other hand, soy protein sensitized the activation of the hormone-sensitive lipase by increasing the phosphorylation of this enzyme (Ser 563) despite rats fed soy protein were normoglucagonemic, in contrast with rats fed casein that showed hyperglucagonemia but reduced hormone-sensitive lipase phosphorylation. Finally, in white adipose tissue, the interaction between the tested dietary components modulated the transcription/translation process of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism genes via the activity of the PERK–endoplasmic reticulum stress response. Therefore, our results showed that the type of protein and the type and amount of dietary fat selectively modify the activity of white adipose tissue, even in a genetic model of obesity.