Time-restricted feeding attenuates hypercholesterolaemia and atherosclerosis development during circadian disturbance in APOE∗3-Leiden.CETP mice

BACKGROUND

Circadian disturbance (CD) is the consequence of a mismatch between endogenous circadian rhythms, behaviour, and/or environmental cycles, and frequently occurs during shift work. Shift work has been associated with elevated risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (asCVD) in humans, but evidence for the effectiveness of prevention strategies is lacking.

METHODS

Here, we applied time-restricted feeding (TRF) as a strategy to counteract atherosclerosis development during CD in female APOE∗3-Leiden.CETP mice, a well-established model for humanized lipoprotein metabolism. Control groups were subjected to a fixed 12:12 h light-dark cycle, while CD groups were subjected to 6-h phase advancement every 3 days. Groups had either ad libitum (AL) access to food or were subjected to TRF with restricted food access to the dark phase.

FINDINGS

TRF did not prevent the increase in the relative abundance of circulating inflammatory monocytes and elevation of (postprandial) plasma triglycerides during CD. Nonetheless, TRF reduced atherosclerotic lesion size and prevented an elevation in macrophage content of atherosclerotic lesions during CD, while it increased the relative abundance of anti-inflammatory monocytes, prevented activation of T cells, and lowered plasma total cholesterol levels and markers of hepatic cholesterol synthesis. These effects were independent of total food intake.

INTERPRETATION

We propose that time restricted eating could be a promising strategy for the primary prevention of asCVD risk in shift workers, which warrants future study in humans.

FUNDING

This work was funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Netherlands Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, and the Dutch Heart Foundation.

A single day of high-fat diet feeding induces lipid accumulation and insulin resistance in brown adipose tissue in mice

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) catabolizes glucose and fatty acids to produce heat and thereby contributes to energy expenditure. Long-term high-fat diet (HFD) feeding results in so-called 'whitening' of BAT characterized by increased lipid deposition, mitochondrial dysfunction, and reduced fat oxidation. The aim of the current study was to unravel the rate and related mechanisms by which HFD induces BAT whitening and insulin resistance. Wild-type mice were fed a HFD for 0, 1, 3, or 7 days. Within 1 day of HFD, BAT weight and lipid content were increased. HFD also immediately reduced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by BAT, indicating rapid induction of insulin resistance. This was accompanied by a tendency toward a reduced uptake of triglyceride-derived fatty acids by BAT. Mitochondrial mass and Ucp1 expression were unaltered, whereas after 3 days of HFD, markers of mitochondrial dynamics suggested induction of a more fused mitochondrial network. Additionally, HFD also increased macrophage markers in BAT after 3 days of HFD. Counterintuitively, the switch to HFD was accompanied by an acute rise in core body temperature. We showed that a single day of HFD feeding is sufficient to induce the first signs of whitening and insulin resistance in BAT, which reduces the uptake of glucose and triglyceride-derived fatty acids. BAT whitening and insulin resistance are likely sustained by reduced mitochondrial oxidation due to changes in mitochondrial dynamics and macrophage infiltration, respectively. Likely, the switch to HFD swiftly induces thermogenesis in other metabolic organs, which allows attenuation of BAT thermogenesis.