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RESEARCH PAPERS

Acute induction of uncoupling protein 1 by citrulline in cultured explants of white adipose tissue from lean and high-fat-diet-fed rats

, , , , &
Pages 129-134 | Received 15 Oct 2014, Accepted 14 Nov 2014, Published online: 07 Jan 2015
 

Abstract

A diet enriched with citrulline (CIT) reduces white adipose tissue (WAT) mass. We recently showed that CIT stimulated β-oxidation in rat WAT explants from young (2–4 months) but not old (25 months) rats. Here we show that both in old rats and high-fat-diet-fed young rats, uncoupling protein one (UCP1) mRNA and protein expressions were weaker than those in young control rats. Selectively in WAT from young rats, a 24h CIT treatment up-regulated expressions of UCP1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα), PPARγ-coactivator-1-α and mitochondrial-transcription-factor-A whereas it down-regulated PPARγ2 gene expression, whatever the diet. These results suggest that CIT induces a new metabolic status in WAT, with increased β-oxidation and uncoupling of respiratory chain, resulting in energy expenditure that favors fat mass reduction.

Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Acknowledgment

We thank Dr. Brigitte Potier for providing us with a series of old rats.

Funding

We acknowledge the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale and the Université Paris Descartes for their financial support.