Abstract
Exacerbated expansion of adipose tissue seen in diet-induced obesity leads to endocrine dysfunction and disturbance in adipokine secretion, with such abnormal profile positively associated with type 2 diabetes and other mild chronic inflammatory conditions. Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE), a mixture of polyphenols with antioxidant properties, has been recently investigated in a variety of experimental models of endocrine dysfunction, with several potentially beneficial effects identified, including improvement in insulin sensitivity in obese rats, and reduction of weight gain in ovariectomy-induced obesity and diet-induced obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate in high fat diet-induced obese male rats the effects of GbE supplementation for 2 weeks on adipocyte volume and adipose tissue lipid accumulation. GbE supplementation was effective in reducing energy intake in obese rats compared to the saline-treated placebo group. Epididymal adipocyte volume was reduced in GbE-supplemented rats, as were epididymal [1-14C]-acetate incorporation into fatty acids, perilipin (Plin 1) and fatty acid synthase (Fasn) mRNA, and FAS protein levels. Adipocyte hypertrophy in obesity is associated with insulin resistance, and in the present study we observed a reduction in the adipocyte volume of GbE-supplemented obese rats to dimensions equivalent to adipocytes from non-obese rats. GbE supplementation significantly reduced acetate accumulation and tended to reduce [3H]-oleate incorporation, into epididymal adipose tissue, suggesting a potentially anti-obesogenic effect in longer term therapies. Further studies that investigate the effects of GbE supplementation in other experimental models are required to fully elucidate its suggested beneficial effects on mild chronic inflammatory conditions.
Highlights
The definition of white adipose tissue (WAT) as an inert mass for energy storage is long gone; over the last two decades the adipose tissue has been recognized as a dynamic tissue and key player in the modulation of energy metabolism [1, 2]
non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) in normal circumstances are utilized as energy by tissues such as liver and muscle; when in excess they contribute to the development of insulin resistance [4, 9,10,11]
Recent investigations from our research group have identified some of the molecular effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) supplementation in obese rats
Summary
The definition of white adipose tissue (WAT) as an inert mass for energy storage is long gone; over the last two decades the adipose tissue has been recognized as a dynamic tissue and key player in the modulation of energy metabolism [1, 2] Adipokines such as leptin, adiponectin, and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα) have a direct effect on energy homeostasis and modulation of low-grade inflammation [3]. The intake of high fat diets has the potential to disturb normal adipokine secretion and to remodel adipose tissue by increasing adipocyte size and/or number, contributing to the development of a proinflammatory microenvironment [4, 5] These perturbations have been positively associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), insulin resistance, and cardiovascular diseases [6, 7]. Visceral obesity seems to play a central role in the development of metabolic disorders, being associated with low-grade chronic inflammation and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines which have the potential to trigger insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction [14,15,16]
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