5. Conclusions
We observed changes in fatty acid synthase, adiponectin and
short-chain fatty acid receptors GPR41 and GPR43 in animals fed
high-fat diets containing different proportions of MUFA and PUFA.
These findings indicate that different types of dietary fatty acids
regulate adipokine production and proteins involved in fatty acid
metabolism in adipose tissue. However, although the fatty acid
compositions of the diets were variable (particularly in PUFA,
MUFA and ALA contents) and there were changes in the fatty acid
profile of adipose tissue, the diets had little impact on adipose
tissue function. Additionally, although there were some differences
in body weight among groups at the end of the study, these
differences did not translate into changes in adiposity (fat mass) or
inflammation, suggesting that the dietary treatments had little
impact on the broader physiological function of these obese
animals. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that using
vegetable oils to replace PUFA with MUFA and to increase intake of
ALA has minimal effects on altering adipose tissue function and
inflammation in the context of a long-term high fat diet.
Sources of support
Funding for this research was provided by the Canola Products
Research Fund, the Canola/Flax Agri-Science Cluster, and the
Canada-Manitoba Agri-food Research Development Initiative (to
PZ & CGT). The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
(NSERC) provided scholarship funding to JE through the Collaborative
Research and Training Experience Program (Food
Advancement through Science and Training), and to DH through
a Canada Graduate Scholarship.
Authors' contributions
JE conducted the protein and mRNA analyses in tissue and
serum, and was responsible for data interpretation and manuscript
preparation. DH coordinated the design and conducted the animal
study, and determined the fatty acid composition of the diet and
adipose tissue. AP assisted with the mRNA analysis. PZ and CGT
conceived the study, participated in and supervised all aspects of
its design and conduct, and edited the manuscript. All authors
have read and approved the final manuscript.
Acknowledgements
The infrastructural support was generously provided by the St.
Boniface Hospital Research Foundation. We would also like to
thank Dennis Labossiere for operating the gas chromatograph, and
Kim Neufeld, Linda Siemens, Karin Love and the staff of the
R.O. Burrell Animal Facility at St. Boniface Research Centre for
their help with animal care.