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Synergistic effects of caffeine and catechins on lipid metabolism in chronically fed mice via the AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathway

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the mechanistic effects of combined exposure to caffeine and catechins on lipid metabolism in mice.

Methods

Seventy mice were randomly assigned to seven groups and fed diets containing varying doses of caffeine and catechins for 24 weeks. Body weight gain, intraperitoneal adipose tissue (IPAT) weight, serum biochemical parameters, and enzymatic activities, mRNA and protein expression levels of lipid metabolism-related enzymes in the liver and IPAT were analyzed.

Results

Following administration of caffeine and catechins, body weight gain, IPAT weight, serum and liver concentrations of total cholesterol and triglyceride were markedly reduced. Lipase activities, including that of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), acyl-CoA oxidase, carnitine acyltransferase, adipose triglyceride lipase, and hormone-sensitive lipase, were significantly upregulated; however, fatty acid synthase (FAS) activity in the liver was suppressed. Combined exposure to caffeine and catechins significantly upregulated mRNA and protein expression levels of lipases while downregulating FAS mRNA expression and protein expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ2.

Conclusions

The combination of caffeine and catechins regulated the enzymatic activities, mRNA, and protein expression levels of lipid metabolism-related enzymes, resulting in suppression of body weight gain and IPAT weight in mice, potentially through activation of the AMPK signaling pathway. This study indicates that chronic intake of both caffeine and catechins can synergistically contribute to prevention of obesity and lifestyle-related diseases.

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Abbreviations

AMPK:

AMP-activated protein kinase

ATGL:

Adipose triglyceride lipase

HSL:

Hormone-sensitive lipase

ACC:

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase

IPAT:

Intraperitoneal adipose tissue

TC:

Total cholesterol

TG:

Triglyceride

CAT:

Carnitine acyltransferase

ACO:

Acyl-CoA oxidase

FAS:

Fatty acid synthase

PPARγ2:

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ2

p-HSL (Ser660):

Phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase Ser660

SREBP-1c:

Sterol-responsive element-binding protein-1c

WAT:

White adipose tissue

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Acknowledgments

This work was kindly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31160320) and the Jiangxi Province Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 20142BAB204003).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Natural Product and Functional Food, College of Food Science and Engineering, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China

      Yan Zhao, Licong Yang, Zhanwang Huang & Guodong Zheng

    2. Library of Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China

      Lezhen Lin

    3. Key Laboratory of Natural Product Research and Development, College of Food Science and Engineering, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China

      Guodong Zheng

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    1. Yan Zhao
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    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Guodong Zheng.

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    On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

    Ethics statement

    This study was carried out in strict accordance with the recommendations from the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of the Chinese Association for Laboratory Animal Science. All animal care and protocols were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of the Jiangxi Agricultural University. All killings were performed under sodium pentobarbital anesthesia, and efforts were taken to minimize animal suffering.

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    Yan Zhao and Licong Yang have contributed equally to this work.

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    Zhao, Y., Yang, L., Huang, Z. et al. Synergistic effects of caffeine and catechins on lipid metabolism in chronically fed mice via the AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. Eur J Nutr 56, 2309–2318 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1271-4

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-016-1271-4

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