Locus Overexpression Reduces Body Weight, Total Cholesterol and Glucose Levels in Mice Fed with Two Different Diets.

Macronutrients represent risk factors for hyperlipidemia or diabetes. Lipid alterations and type 2 diabetes mellitus are global health problems. Overexpression of sterol regulatory element-binding factor () in transgenic animals is linked to elevated cholesterol levels and diabetes development. We investigated the impact of increased locus expression and the effects of control and high-fat, high-sucrose (HFHS) diets on body weight, glucose and lipid metabolisms in transgenic mice (). Wild type () and were fed with both diets for 16 weeks. Plasma glucose, insulin and lipids were assessed ( = 25). Immunostainings were performed in liver, pancreas and fat (N = 10). Expression of and in liver was performed by RT-PCR (N = 8). Control diet: showed reduced weight, insulin, total and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides (TG). HFHS diet widened differences in weight, total and HDL cholesterol, insulin and HOMA index but increased TG in . In adipocyte size was lower while HFHS diet produced lower increase, pancreatic β-cell mass was lower with both diets and , and mRNA levels were higher while HFHS diet produced a rise in and levels. complete gene overexpression seems to have beneficial effects on metabolic parameters and to protect against HFHS diet effects.