Repletion of TNFα or leptin in calorically restricted mice suppresses post-restriction hyperphagia

Models of body weight and fatness regulation

Body weight and fatness appear to be regulated phenomena. Several different theoretical models are available to capture the essence of this idea. These include the set-point, dynamic equilibrium, adiposity force, control theory-settling point, Hall-Guo, operation point and dual intervention point (DIP) models. The set-point model posits a single reference point around which levels of fat are regulated. The dynamic equilibrium model suggests that the apparent regulation of body fat around a reference point is an illusion owing to the necessary impacts of weight change on energy expenditure. Control theory focuses on the importance of feedback gain and suggests set-point and dynamic equilibrium are ends of a continuum of feedback gain. Control theory models have also been called 'settling point' models. The Hall-Guo, operation point and DIP models also bring together the set-point and dynamic equilibrium ideas into a single framework. The DIP proposes a zone of indifference where dynamic equilibrium 'regulation' predominates, bounded by upper and lower intervention points beyond which physiological mechanisms are activated. The drifty gene hypothesis is an idea explaining where this individual variation in the upper intervention point might come from. We conclude that further experiments to test between the models are sorely required. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Causes of obesity: theories, conjectures and evidence (Part II)'.

Cold exposure prevents fat accumulation in striped hamsters refed a high-fat diet following food restriction

Background

In mammals, body mass lost during food restriction is often rapidly regained, and fat is accumulated when ad libitum feeding is resumed. Studies in small cold-acclimated mammals have demonstrated significant mobilization of fat deposits during cold exposure to meet the energy requirements of metabolic thermogenesis. However, no studies to our knowledge have examined the effect of cold exposure on fat accumulation during body mass recovery when refed ad libitum. In this study, striped hamsters restricted to 80% of their regular food intake were then refed ad libitum and exposed to one of three conditions: Intermittent cold temperature (5 °C) for 2 h per day (ICE-2 h/d), intermittent cold temperature (5 °C) for 12 h per day (ICE-12 h/d), or persistent cold exposure (PCE) for four weeks. We measured energy intake, fat deposit mass, serum thyroid hormone levels, and uncoupling protein 1 expression in brown adipose tissue.

Results

There was no significant effect of intermittent or persistent cold exposure on body mass regain, whereas energy intake increased significantly and total fat deposit decreased in the ICE-12 h/d and PCE groups compared to the ICE-2 h/d group and control group maintained at 23 °C (CON). In the ICE-12 h/d and PCE groups, hamsters had 39.6 and 38.3% higher serum 3,3′,5-triiodothyronine levels, respectively, and 81.6 and 71.3% up-regulated expression of uncoupling protein 1, respectively, in brown adipose tissue compared to their counterparts in the CON group. The rate of mitochondrial state III and state IV respiration O2 consumption and the activity of cytochrome c oxidase in BAT and liver were significantly higher in the ICE-12 h/d and PCE groups than in the ICE-2 h/d and CON groups.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest thyroid hormone-mediated heat production in brown adipose tissue and liver may be involved in preventing fat accumulation during refeeding in animals frequently or persistently exposed to cold conditions.

The energy budget and fat accumulation in striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis) during post-lactation

Adaptive adjustments of energy intake and body fat play an important role in allowing animals' to meet the energy demands of thermoregulation during cold conditions and reproduction. Body fat is usually metabolized during lactation, which is one of the most energetically demanding activities of female mammals, however the effect of this on the energy budget and body fat regulation after lactation remains unclear. We compared the energy intake and body fat of female striped hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis) fed either a high-fat or low-fat diet for 21 days after the end of lactation (post-lactation, PL) to those of virgin controls. Serum leptin levels and the expression of hypothalamic orexigenic and anorexigenic neuropeptide genes were also measured and compared. Although lactating females consumed significantly more food, they had significantly lower body fat than virgin controls. The energy intake and body fat levels of the PL females were, however, significantly higher than those of virgin females. This was particularly true for the PL females that were fed high-fat diet. These females had significantly higher serum leptin concentrations, but lower hypothalamic leptin receptor gene expression, than virgin females. Neither orexigenic nor anorexigenic neuropeptide levels in the hypothalamus differed significantly between the PL and virgin females. This suggests that a negative energy balance during lactation drives fat accumulation after lactation. Furthermore, leptin resistance may occur after the end of lactation, causing females to consume more food, and accumulate more fat, than virgin females.

Limits to sustained energy intake. XXX. Constraint or restraint? Manipulations of food supply show peak food intake in lactation is constrained

Lactating mice increase food intake 4- to 5-fold, reaching an asymptote in late lactation. A key question is whether this asymptote reflects a physiological constraint, or a maternal investment strategy (a 'restraint'). We exposed lactating mice to periods of food restriction, hypothesizing that if the limit reflected restraint, they would compensate by breaching the asymptote when refeeding. In contrast, if it was a constraint, they would by definition be unable to increase their intake on refeeding days. Using isotope methods, we found that during food restriction, the females shut down milk production, impacting offspring growth. During refeeding, food intake and milk production rose again, but not significantly above unrestricted controls. These data provide strong evidence that asymptotic intake in lactation reflects a physiological/physical constraint, rather than restraint. Because hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (Npy) was upregulated under both states of restriction, this suggests the constraint is not imposed by limits in the capacity to upregulate hunger signalling (the saturated neural capacity hypothesis). Understanding the genetic basis of the constraint will be a key future goal and will provide us additional information on the nature of the constraining factors on reproductive output, and their potential links to life history strategies.

SOCS3 as a future target to treat metabolic disorders

The suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) are a group of eight proteins responsible for preventing excessive cytokine signaling. Among this protein family, SOCS3 has received special attention. SOCS3 expression is important to control certain allergy autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, SOCS3 expression is elevated in obesity and it is involved in the inhibition of leptin and insulin signaling, two important hormones involved in the control of energy metabolism. Therefore, increased SOCS3 expression in obese individuals is associated with several metabolic disorders, including reduced energy expenditure, increased food intake and adiposity, and insulin and leptin resistance. In addition, recent studies found that SOCS3 expression regulates energy and glucose homeostasis in several metabolic conditions, such as pregnancy, caloric restriction, and refeeding. Importantly, attenuation of SOCS3 expression in most cases improves leptin and insulin sensitivity, leading to beneficial metabolic effects. This review aims to discuss the role of SOCS3 in the control of blood glucose levels as well as in energy homeostasis. The development of pharmacological compounds to inhibit SOCS3 activity and/or expression may represent a promising therapeutic approach to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and other metabolic imbalances.

The less weight loss due to modest food restriction drove more fat accumulation in striped hamsters refed with high-fat diet

Food restriction (FR) has been commonly used to decrease body fat, reducing the risk of overweight in humans and animals. However, the lost weight has been shown to be followed by overweight when food restriction ends. It remains uncertain whether the weight loss drives the overweight, or not. In the present study, striped hamsters were restricted by 15%, 30% and 40% of ad libitum food intake for 2 weeks, followed by high-fat refeeding for 6 weeks (FR15%-Re, FR30%-Re and FR40%-Re). The hamsters in FR15%, FR30% and FR40% groups decreased by 21.1%, 37.8% and 50.0% in fat mass (P < 0.01), and 16.8%, 42.8% and 53.4% in leptin levels (P < 0.01) compared with the hamsters fed ad libitum. The FR15%-Re, FR30%-Re and FR40%-Re groups showed 77.0%, 37.2% and 23.7% more body fat than ad libitum group (P < 0.01). The FR15%-Re group showed considerable decreases in gene expression of arcuate nucleus co-expressing proopiomelanocortin (POMC), cocaine - and amphetamineregulated transcript (CART) and the long isoform of leptin receptor (LepRb) in the hypothalamus and of several genes associated with fatty acid transport to mitochondria and β-oxidation in brown adipose tissue and liver. It suggests that less weight loss is likely to drive more fat accumulation when food restriction ends, in which the impaired function of LepRb, POMC and CART in the brain and fatty acid oxidation in brown adipose tissue and liver may be involved.

Postnatal overnutrition alters the orexigenic effects of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) and reduces MCHR1 hypothalamic expression on spontaneous feeding and fasting

One of the approaches to induce obesity in rodents consists in reducing litter size to 3 pups during the lactation period. Animals submitted to this manipulation are heavier, hyperphagic and develop several metabolic diseases for the rest of their lives. In the present study, under the premise that melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), an orexigenic peptide synthesized by neurons of the lateral hypothalamus, is involved in food intake regulation, we aimed to measure the hypothalamic expression of its receptor, MCHR1, in adult early overfed obese animals and normoweight controls at both ad libitum and food deprived conditions. Additionally, we administered MCH, or an antiMCH antibody, into the third ventricle of ad libitum-fed rats, or fasted rats, respectively, and evaluated chow consumption. Typical nocturnal hyperphagia in rodents was elevated in obese animals compared to normoweight controls, accompanied by a lower expression of MCHR1 and leptin receptor (Ob-R). Following a 24 h fasting, MCHR1 remained lower in SL rats. After 4 h of re-feeding, obese animals ate more than normoweight controls. MCH failed to enhance appetite in early overfed obese animals and immunoneutralization of the peptide only reduced fasted induced-hyperphagia in normoweight controls. These results support the notion that both peptide and brain endogenous MCH exert a physiological relevant action in food intake regulation in normoweight rats, but that postnatal overnutrition disturbs this system, as reflected by MCHR1 downregulation at both ad libitum and fasted conditions and in the lack of response to MCH in both positive- and negative-energetic states in early overfed obese animals.

Leptin resistance was involved in susceptibility to overweight in the striped hamster re-fed with high fat diet

Food restriction (FR) is the most commonly used intervention to prevent the overweight. However, the lost weight is usually followed by “compensatory growth” when FR ends, resulting in overweight. The present study was aimed to examining the behavior patterns and hormones mechanisms underpinning the over-weight. Energy budget and body fat content, and several endocrine markers related to leptin signals were examined in the striped hamsters under 20% FR refed by either low-fat diet (LF group) or high-fat diet (HF group). Body mass and fat content significantly regained when FR ended, and the hamsters in HF group showed 49.1% more body fat than in LF group (P < 0.01). Digestive energy intake was higher by 20.1% in HF than LF group, while metabolic thermogenesis and behavior patterns did not differed between the two groups. Gene expression of leptin receptor and anorexigenic peptides of pro-opiomelanocortin and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript in hypothalamus were significantly up-regulated in LF group, but down-regulated in HF group. It suggests that effective leptin signals to the brain were involved in attenuation of hyperphagia in hamsters refed with LF. However, “leptin resistance” probably occurred in hamsters refed with HF, which impaired the control of hyperphagia, resulting in development of over-weight.

Energy homeostasis in leptin deficient Lepob/ob mice

Maintenance of reduced body weight is associated both with reduced energy expenditure per unit metabolic mass and increased hunger in mice and humans. Lowered circulating leptin concentration, due to decreased fat mass, provides a primary signal for this response. However, leptin deficient (Lep^ob/ob) mice (and leptin receptor deficient Zucker rats) reduce energy expenditure following weight reduction by a necessarily non-leptin dependent mechanisms. To identify these mechanisms, Lep^ob/ob mice were fed ad libitum (AL group; n = 21) or restricted to 3 kilocalories of chow per day (CR group, n = 21). After losing 20% of initial weight (in approximately 2 weeks), the CR mice were stabilized at 80% of initial body weight for two weeks by titrated refeeding, and then released from food restriction. CR mice conserved energy (-17% below predicted based on body mass and composition during the day; -52% at night); and, when released to ad libitum feeding, CR mice regained fat and lean mass (to AL levels) within 5 weeks. CR mice did so while their ad libitum caloric intake was equal to that of the AL animals. While calorically restricted, the CR mice had a significantly lower respiratory exchange ratio (RER = 0.89) compared to AL (0.94); after release to ad libitum feeding, RER was significantly higher (1.03) than in the AL group (0.93), consistent with their anabolic state. These results confirm that, in congenitally leptin deficient animals, leptin is not required for compensatory reduction in energy expenditure accompanying weight loss, but suggest that the hyperphagia of the weight-reduced state is leptin-dependent.

The effects of graded levels of calorie restriction: V. Impact of short term calorie and protein restriction on physical activity in the C57BL/6 mouse

Calorie restriction (CR) delays the onset of age-related disease and extends lifespan in a number of species. When faced with reduced energy supply animals need to lower energy demands, which may be achieved in part by reducing physical activity (PA). We monitored changes in PA using implanted transmitters in male C57BL/6 mice in response to graded levels of CR (10 to 40%) or matched levels of graded protein restriction (PR) for 3 months. Mice were fed at lights out and ad libitum controls were limited to dark-phase feeding (12AL) or 24hr/day. Total daily PA declined in a non-linear manner over the first 30 days of CR or PR, remaining stable thereafter. Total daily PA was not related to the level of CR or PR. Total daily PA over the last 20 days of restriction was related to circulating leptin, insulin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 levels, measured after 3 months. Mice under restriction showed a high level of activity in the 2hrs before feeding (food anticipatory activity: FAA). FAA followed a complex pattern, peaking around day 20, falling on ∼day 37 then increasing again. FAA was also positively related to the level of restriction and inversely to leptin, insulin, TNF-α and IGF-1. Non-FAA, in contrast, declined over the period of restriction, generally more so in mice under greater restriction, thereby offsetting to some extent the increase in FAA. Mice under PR displayed no changes in PA over time or in comparison to 12AL, and showed no increase in FAA.

Determination of the half-life of circulating leptin in the mouse

Background

The adipokine hormone, leptin, is a major component of body weight homeostasis. Numerous studies have been performed administering recombinant mouse leptin as an experimental reagent; however, the half life of circulating leptin following exogenous administration of recombinant mouse leptin has not been carefully evaluated.

Methods

Exogenous leptin was administered (3 mg leptin/kg body weight) to ten week old fasted non-obese male mice and plasma was serially collected at seven time points; plasma leptin concentration was measured by ELISA at each time point to estimate the circulating half life of mouse leptin.

Results

Under the physiological circumstances tested, the half life of mouse leptin was 40.2 (+/− 2.2) minutes. Circulating leptin concentrations up to one hour following exogenous leptin administration were 170-fold higher than endogenous levels at fasting.

Conclusions

The half life of mouse leptin was determined to be 40.2 minutes. These results should be useful in planning and interpreting experiments employing exogenous leptin. The unphysiological elevations in circulating leptin resulting from widely used dosing regimens for exogenous leptin are likely to confound inferences regarding some aspects of the hormone’s clinical biology.

Changes in Leptin Signaling by SOCS3 Modulate Fasting-Induced Hyperphagia and Weight Regain in Mice

Weight regain frequently follows interventions that reduce body weight, leading to a failure in long-term obesity treatment. Inhibitory proteins of the leptin signaling pathway, such as the suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), have been studied in conditions that predispose animals to obesity. However, whether SOCS3 modulates postrestriction hyperphagia and weight regain remains unknown. Mice lacking SOCS3 protein specifically in leptin receptor (LepR)-expressing cells (LepR SOCS3 knockout [KO]) were generated and studied in fasting and refeeding conditions. LepR SOCS3 KO mice exhibited increased leptin sensitivity in the hypothalamus. Notably, LepR SOCS3 KO males and females showed attenuated food intake and weight regain after 48 hours of fasting. Postrestriction hyperleptinemia was also prevented in LepR SOCS3 KO mice. Next, we studied possible mechanisms and neural circuits involved in the SOCS3 effects. SOCS3 deletion did not prevent fasting- or refeeding-induced c-Fos expression in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARH) nor fasting-induced increased excitability of ARH LepR-expressing cells. On the other hand, SOCS3 ablation reduced the mRNA levels of hypothalamic orexigenic neuropeptides during fasting (neuropeptide Y, agouti-related protein, orexin, and melanin-concentrating hormone). In summary, our findings suggest that increased leptin sensitivity contributes to the maintenance of a reduced body weight after food deprivation. In addition, the attenuated postrestriction food intake observed in mutant mice was not explained by fasting-induced changes in the activity of ARH neurons but exclusively by a lower transcription of orexigenic neuropeptides during fasting. These results indicate a partial dissociation between the regulation of neuronal activity and gene expression in ARH LepR-expressing cells.

Calories or protein? The effect of dietary restriction on lifespan in rodents is explained by calories alone

Almost exactly 100years ago Osborne and colleagues demonstrated that restricting the food intake of a small number of female rats extended their lifespan. In the 1930s experiments on the impact of diet on lifespan were extended by Slonaker, and subsequently McCay. Slonaker concluded that there was a strong impact of protein intake on lifespan, while McCay concluded that calories are the main factor causing differences in lifespan when animals are restricted (Calorie restriction or CR). Hence from the very beginning the question of whether food restriction acts on lifespan via reduced calorie intake or reduced protein intake was disputed. Subsequent work supported the idea that calories were the dominant factor. More recently, however, this role has again been questioned, particularly in studies of insects. Here we review the data regarding previous studies of protein and calorie restriction in rodents. We show that increasing CR (with simultaneous protein restriction: PR) increases lifespan, and that CR with no PR generates an identical effect. None of the residual variation in the impact of CR (with PR) on lifespan could be traced to variation in macronutrient content of the diet. Other studies show that low protein content in the diet does increase median lifespan, but the effect is smaller than the CR effect. We conclude that CR is a valid phenomenon in rodents that cannot be explained by changes in protein intake, but that there is a separate phenomenon linking protein intake to lifespan, which acts over a different range of protein intakes than is typical in CR studies. This suggests there may be a fundamental difference in the responses of insects and rodents to CR. This may be traced to differences in the physiology of these groups, or reflect a major methodological difference between 'restriction' studies performed on rodents and insects. We suggest that studies where the diet is supplied ad libitum, but diluted with inert components, should perhaps be called dietary or caloric dilution, rather than dietary or caloric restriction, to distinguish these potentially important methodological differences.

Mice that gorged during dietary restriction increased foraging related behaviors and differed in their macronutrient preference when released from restriction

Caloric restriction (CR) can trigger gorging behavior. We examined macronutrient choice and behavior in mice that gorged during restriction compared to restricted non-gorgers and controls. Fifty MF1 male mice were restricted to 75% of ad-libitum food intake (FI), while ten controls were fed ad-lib. Body mass (BM) and FI were measured two and 24-h after food inclusion over 14-days. ‘Gorging’ mice were defined as those which ate over 25% of their daily FI in 2-h. The top 11 gorgers and the lowest 9 gorgers, along with 10 controls, had their behavior analysed during restriction, and were then provided with an unrestricted food choice, consisting of three diets that were high in fat, protein or carbohydrate. During restriction gorgers ate on average 51% of their daily FI in the 2-h following food introduction while the non-gorgers ate only 16%. Gorgers lost significantly more BM than non-gorgers possibly due to an increased physical activity linked to anticipation of daily food provision. Controls and non-gorgers spent most of their time sleeping. After restriction, both gorgers and non-gorgers were hyperphagic until their lost weight was regained. All 3 groups favoured high fat food. Gorgers and non-gorgers had a significantly greater high carbohydrate diet intake than controls, and gorgers also had a significantly greater high protein diet intake than non-gorgers and controls. On unrestricted food, they did not continue to gorge, although they still had a significantly greater 2-h FI than the other groups. Elevated protein intake may play an important role in the recovery of the lost lean tissue of gorgers after restriction.

The effects of graded levels of calorie restriction: I. impact of short term calorie and protein restriction on body composition in the C57BL/6 mouse

Faced with reduced levels of food, animals must adjust to the consequences of the shortfall in energy. We explored how C57BL/6 mice withdrew energy from different body tissues during three months of food restriction at graded levels up to 40% (calorie restriction: CR). We compared this to the response to equivalent levels of protein restriction (PR) without a shortfall in calories. Under CR there was a dynamic change in body mass over 30 days and thereafter it stabilized. The time to reach stability was independent of the level of restriction. At the end of three months whole body dissections revealed differential utilization of the different tissues. Adipose tissue depots were the most significantly utilized tissue, and provided 55.8 to 60.9% of the total released energy. In comparison, reductions in the sizes of structural tissues contributed between 29.8 and 38.7% of the energy. The balance was made up by relatively small changes in the vital organs. The components of the alimentary tract grew slightly under restriction, particularly the stomach, and this was associated with a parallel increase in assimilation efficiency of the food (averaging 1.73%). None of the changes under CR were recapitulated by equivalent levels of PR.

Energy budget, behavior and leptin in striped hamsters subjected to food restriction and refeeding

Food restriction induces a loss of body mass that is often followed by rapid regaining of the lost weight when the restriction ends, consequently increasing a risk of development of obesity. To determine the physiological and behavioral mechanisms underlining the regaining, striped hamsters were restricted to 85% of initial food intake for 4 weeks and refed ad libitum for another 4 weeks. Changes in body mass, energy budget, activity, body composition and serum leptin level were measured. Body mass, body fat mass and serum leptin level significantly decreased in food-restricted hamsters, and increased when the restriction ended, showing a short “compensatory growth” rather than over-weight or obesity compared with ad libitum controls. During restriction, the time spent on activity increased significantly, which was opposite to the changes in serum leptin level. Food intake increased shortly during refeeding, which perhaps contributed to the rapid regaining of body mass. No correlation was observed between serum leptin and energy intake, while negative correlations were found in hamsters that were refed for 7 and 28 days. Exogenous leptin significantly decreased the time spent on activity during food restriction and attenuated the increase in food intake during refeeding. This suggests that low leptin in restricted animals may function as a starvation signal to induce an increase in activity behavior, and high leptin likely serves as a satiety signal to prevent activity during refeeding. Leptin may play a crucial role in controlling food intake when the restriction ends, and consequently preventing overweight.