Postprandial plasma MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity following a high-fat versus a low-fat isoenergetic test-meal in lean healthy men

Abstract

Background: Evidence suggests that an acute systemic inflammatory response is invoked following a high-energy meal. The gelatinases, matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 (MMP-2 and MMP-9) are important mediators of inflammation, are implicated in adipose tissue development, and are positively correlated with obesity. However, no studies to date have investigated the postprandial effects of a high-energy meal on circulating MMP-2 and MMP-9 in humans. Objective: To examine the postprandial effect of a high-energy (5MJ) test-meal on plasma MMP-2 and MMP-9 and to investigate the differential effect of a high-fat (HF) versus a low-fat (LF) test-meal on MMP-2 and MMP-9. Methods: Seventeen lean, healthy males (BMI 22± 0.5 kg/m2, age 21± 0.49y) participated in this single-blind, randomised, cross-over study. A HF test-meal (5001 kJ, 45 g fat) and an isoenergetic LF test-meal (5003 kJ, 15 g fat) were consumed by each subject on two separate occasions. Blood samples were collected by venepuncture at baseline (0 h), at 1 h and 3 h following ingestion of each test-meal. Plasma MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity was determined by gelatin zymography. Data underwent repeated measures ANOVA and were expressed as mean± SEM (P 0.05). When analysed independent of treatment, there was no significant change in plasma MMP-2 (time, P = 0.51) or MMP-9 (time, P = 0.52) over the 3 h postprandial period. There was no differential effect of the HF versus the LF test-meal (time× treatment P > 0.05) on circulating MMP-2 or MMP-9 at 1 h or at 3 h. Conclusion: This study showed no postprandial changes in circulating MMP-2 or MMP-9 following consumption of a high-energy meal nor any differential effect of a HF versus a LF test-meal on these parameters. Further research is necessary to elucidate the potential effect of dietary fat on gelatinases in humans.