Time-restricted feeding of a high-fat diet reduces adiposity and inflammatory cytokine production in mice

Authors: Sundaram, Sneha; Yan, Lin

Submitted to: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2016
Publication Date: 4/1/2016
Citation: Sundaram, S., Yan, L. 2016. Time-restricted feeding of a high-fat diet reduces adiposity and inflammatory cytokine production in mice [abstract]. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Conference, April 1-6, 2016, San Diego, California. 30:915.31.

Interpretive Summary: Disruption of the circadian rhythms contributes to obesity. Restricting feeding to particular times of the day may reset the circadian rhythms and reduce obesity and resulting complications. The present study investigated the effects of time-restricted feeding (TRF) of a high-fat diet on adiposity in male C57BL/6 mice. Three-week-old mice were fed a low-fat or high-fat diet (16% or 45% of energy from corn oil) ad lib or the high-fat diet restricted to 8 or 12 hours per day during the dark cycle for 11 weeks. Caloric intake of TRF 12-hour group was similar to, while that of TRF 8-hour group was slightly but significantly lower than, that of the high-fat ad lib group. Restricted feeding of the high-fat diet significantly reduced body fat mass and body weight compared to mice fed the high-fat diet ad lib. Metabolic analyses showed that there were no significant differences in respiratory exchange ratio (RER) among TRF and high-fat ad lib groups, but the RER of these groups were significantly lower than the low-fat group. Energy expenditure of the TRF 8-hour group, but not the TRF 12-hour group, was significantly lower than that of the high-fat ad lib group. Plasma concentrations of ghrelin (a “hunger hormone” that regulates appetite and distribution and use of energy) were significantly increased in TRF groups compared to both low-fat and high-fat ad lib groups. Plasma concentrations of insulin, leptin, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-1 were significantly elevated in the high fat ad lib group and reduced in both TRF groups to the levels of mice fed the low-fat diet. Taken together, our results showed that consumption of a high-fat diet led to increases in adiposity and that TRF reduced such an obesogenic process and its associated inflammatory cytokine and angiogenic factor production. Time-restricted feeding may be a promising strategy in preventing obesity.

Technical Abstract: Disruption of the circadian rhythms contributes to obesity. Restricting feeding to particular times of the day may reset the circadian rhythms and reduce obesity and resulting complications. The present study investigated the effects of time-restricted feeding (TRF) of a high-fat diet on adiposity in male C57BL/6 mice. Three-week-old mice were fed a low-fat or high-fat diet (16% or 45% of energy from corn oil) ad lib or the high-fat diet restricted to 8 or 12 hours per day during the dark cycle for 11 weeks. Caloric intake of TRF 12-hour group was similar to, while that of TRF 8-hour group was slightly but significantly lower than, that of the high-fat ad lib group. Restricted feeding of the high-fat diet significantly reduced body fat mass and body weight compared to mice fed the high-fat diet ad lib. Metabolic analyses showed that there were no significant differences in respiratory exchange ratio (RER) among TRF and high-fat ad lib groups, but the RER of these groups were significantly lower than the low-fat group. Energy expenditure of the TRF 8-hour group, but not the TRF 12-hour group, was significantly lower than that of the high-fat ad lib group. Plasma concentrations of ghrelin (a “hunger hormone” that regulates appetite and distribution and use of energy) were significantly increased in TRF groups compared to both low-fat and high-fat ad lib groups. Plasma concentrations of insulin, leptin, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and tissue inhibitor metalloproteinase-1 were significantly elevated in the high fat ad lib group and reduced in both TRF groups to the levels of mice fed the low-fat diet. Taken together, our results showed that consumption of a high-fat diet led to increases in adiposity and that TRF reduced such an obesogenic process and its associated inflammatory cytokine and angiogenic factor production. Time-restricted feeding may be a promising strategy in preventing obesity.