Selenium significantly inhibits adipocyte hypertrophy and abdominal fat accumulation in OLETF rats via induction of fatty acid β-oxidation

Biol Trace Elem Res. 2012 Dec;150(1-3):360-70. doi: 10.1007/s12011-012-9519-1. Epub 2012 Oct 18.

Abstract

A combination of selenium (Se) with other trace element is associated with partially modulate fatty acid distribution as well as reduction of the body weight and feed efficiency. To investigate whether or not Se treatment has an impact on lipid metabolism, we examined the levels of lipid metabolism-related factors, including abdominal fat, adiponectin, cholesterol, very long chain dehydrogenase (VLCAD), and medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) in 20-week-old Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats following sodium selenite treatment for 2 weeks. Herein, we observed that (a) Se treatment induced insulin-like effects by lowering the serum glucose level in rats; (b) Se-treated rats showed significance values decreases in abdominal fat mass, adipocyte size, and adiponectin, which are associated with lipid metabolism; (c) Se treatment led to reduced levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol; (d) fat tissue in Se-treated rats displayed significantly lower expression of adipocyte marker genes along with increased expression of VLCAD and MCAD; and (e) fatty liver formation and β-oxidation gene expression were both significantly reduced in liver tissue of Se-treated rats. Therefore, our results suggest that Se may induce inhibition of adipocyte hypertrophy and abdominal fat accumulation along with suppression of fatty liver formation by the differential regulation of the gene expression for fatty acid β-oxidation in the OLETF model.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abdominal Fat / enzymology
  • Abdominal Fat / metabolism*
  • Abdominal Fat / pathology
  • Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase / biosynthesis*
  • Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase / genetics
  • Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase / metabolism
  • Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase, Long-Chain / biosynthesis*
  • Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase, Long-Chain / genetics
  • Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase, Long-Chain / metabolism
  • Adiposity
  • Animals
  • Anti-Obesity Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Diabetes Complications / blood
  • Diabetes Complications / diet therapy
  • Diabetes Complications / metabolism
  • Diabetes Complications / pathology
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Enzyme Induction*
  • Fatty Liver / etiology
  • Fatty Liver / prevention & control
  • Hypertrophy
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Hypolipidemic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Lipid Metabolism
  • Liver / enzymology
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Liver / pathology
  • Obesity / complications
  • Obesity / diet therapy*
  • Obesity / metabolism
  • Obesity / pathology
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred OLETF
  • Rats, Inbred Strains
  • Selenium / therapeutic use*
  • Sodium Selenite / administration & dosage

Substances

  • Anti-Obesity Agents
  • Hypoglycemic Agents
  • Hypolipidemic Agents
  • Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase
  • Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase, Long-Chain
  • Selenium
  • Sodium Selenite