PGC-1α may associated with the anti-obesity effect of taurine on rats induced by arcuate nucleus lesion

Abstract

Objective: To observe the effect of taurine treatment in rats with monosodium glutamate (MSG)-induced obesity.

Methods: Rats with MSG-induced obesity were administered taurine for five weeks. The Lee's index, food intake, blood pressure, body temperature, body mass index (BMI), fat weight, and triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels were compared. The PGC-1α expression levels in white and brown adipose were measured using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, and pathological changes in the arcuate nucleus and liver were examined.

Results: Compared with the model group, BMI, TG, and LDL in the high and low taurine dose groups were significantly lower, while HDL was higher. Body temperature in the taurine treatment groups was higher, and blood pressure was lower. The weight of brown fat in the taurine treatment groups was significantly higher than in the model group, while the white fat weight was significantly lower. Compared with the control group, the PGC-1α levels in white and brown adipose were higher in the taurine treatment groups and more significantly up-regulated in brown adipose.

Discussion: This study suggests that taurine prevents obesity in MSG-treated rats and may be closely associated with energy metabolism.

Keywords:

• Taurine
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Obesity
• PGC-1α
• Energy metabolism

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a Young Scientist grant (BS2010YY002) from the Scientific Research Foundation of Shandong Province and grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30660070) and the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation (ZR2012HM057).

Disclaimer statements

Contributors

M.Y. acted as a mentor throughout the experiment, she is the corresponding author for this article. P.C. and Y.J. were the operators throughout the experiment. They contributed equally. M.L. and R.Z. were involved in the whole process of feeding animals.

Funding

None.

Conflicts of interest

None.

Ethics approval

All procedures were in accordance with the National Institute of Health and Nutrition Guidelines for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals in China.