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Dietary cocoa ameliorates obesity-related inflammation in high fat-fed mice

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the effect of cocoa powder supplementation on obesity-related inflammation in high fat (HF)-fed obese mice.

Methods

Male C57BL/6J (n = 126) were fed with either low-fat (LF, 10 % kcal from fat) or HF (60 % kcal from fat) diet for 18 weeks. After 8 weeks, mice from HF group were randomized to HF diet or HF diet supplemented with 8 % cocoa powder (HF–HFC group) for 10 weeks. Blood and tissue samples were collected for biochemical analyses.

Results

Cocoa powder supplementation significantly reduced the rate of body weight gain (15.8 %) and increased fecal lipid content (55.2 %) compared to HF-fed control mice. Further, cocoa supplementation attenuated insulin resistance, as indicated by improved HOMA-IR, and reduced the severity of obesity-related fatty liver disease (decreased plasma alanine aminotransferase and liver triglyceride) compared to HF group. Cocoa supplementation also significantly decreased plasma levels of the pro-inflammatory mediators interleukin-6 (IL-6, 30.4 %), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1, 25.2 %), and increased adiponectin (33.7 %) compared to HF-fed mice. Expression of pro-inflammatory genes (Il6, Il12b, Nos2, and Emr1) in the stromal vascular fraction (SVF) of the epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT) was significantly reduced (37–56 %) in the cocoa-supplemented mice.

Conclusions

Dietary supplementation with cocoa ameliorates obesity-related inflammation, insulin resistance, and fatty liver disease in HF-fed obese mice, principally through the down-regulation of pro-inflammatory gene expression in WAT. These effects appear to be mediated in part by a modulation of dietary fat absorption and inhibition of macrophage infiltration in WAT.

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Abbreviations

ALT:

Alanine aminotransferase

ATM:

Adipose tissue-associated macrophage

DP:

Degree of polymerization

HF:

High fat

HFC:

High-fat diet supplemented with 8 % cocoa powder

HOMA-IR:

Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance

IL:

Interleukin

iNOS:

Inducible nitric oxide synthase

LF:

Low fat

MCP-1:

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1

NO:

Nitric oxide

ORFLD:

Obesity-related fatty liver disease

PAC:

Proanthocyanidin

SVF:

Stromal vascular fraction

TNF-α:

Tumor necrosis factor-α

WAT:

White adipose tissue

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Sarah Forester, Ms. Sudathip Sae-tan, Ms. Tongtong Xu, Ms. Ling Tao, Mr. Zachary Bitzer, and Ms. Amy Brownschidle for technical assistance.

Conflict of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Excellence for Plant and Mushroom Foods and Health, Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, 332 Food Science Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Yeyi Gu & Joshua D. Lambert

  2. Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Intercollege Graduate Program in Physiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Shan Yu

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  1. Yeyi Gu
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Correspondence to Joshua D. Lambert.

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Gu, Y., Yu, S. & Lambert, J.D. Dietary cocoa ameliorates obesity-related inflammation in high fat-fed mice. Eur J Nutr 53, 149–158 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-013-0510-1

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