Effect of long-term high-fat feeding on the expression of pancreatic lipases and adipose tissue uncoupling proteins in mice.

INTRODUCTION: A diet containing a high amount of fat has been shown, in short-term studies, to increase the expression of pancreatic lipase and colipase.

AIM: To investigate the effects of long-term high-fat-feeding (113 days) on the mRNA expression of pancreatic lipase, colipase, pancreatic lipase-related proteins (1 and 2), and uncoupling proteins during the development of obesity and glucose intolerance.

METHODOLOGY: Mice were fed either a high-fat or standard diet and killed after 3, 13, 57, and 113 days. Brown and white adipose tissue and pancreas were collected for mRNA extraction [corrected].

RESULTS: The high-fat-fed mice became obese and glucose-intolerant by 113 days. The high-fat diet increased lipase (p < 0.05) expression initially. At the end of the experiment, the lipase levels had decreased to the level of the control. Colipase levels did not change during the first 57 days of high-fat feeding but decreased below control levels by 113 days (p < 0.05). The high-fat diet increased brown adipose tissue uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)(p < 0.005) expression but not the expression of uncoupling protein 2.

CONCLUSION: Long-term high-fat feeding, leading to glucose intolerance, occurs with a simultaneous decrease in the mRNA expression of pancreatic lipase and colipase and an increase in UCP1 expression.