Open AccessDietary modulation of ghrelin and leptin and gorging behavior after weight loss in the obese Zucker rat
Author(s) -
Bernard Beck,
Sébastien Richy
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of endocrinology/journal of endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.498
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1479-6805
pISSN - 0022-0795
DOI - 10.1677/joe-09-0080
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , leptin , ghrelin , calorie restriction , weight loss , diet induced obese , calorie , obesity , body weight , chemistry , hormone , insulin resistance
In this study, we measured ghrelin and leptin in obese Zucker rats after weight loss induced by calorie restriction using either a low-fat (LF) or high-energy palatable (HEPa) diet. After weight loss, the animals were refed lab chow and offered one hour-palatable test meals on the second and fifteenth days of refeeding. Both LF and HEPa rats lost 10% of their initial body weight ( P <0.0001). Plasma ghrelin increased with calorie restriction in both groups ( P <0.002) with a tendency to a higher increase in the HEPa group while plasma leptin decreased only in the LF group ( P <0.01). Both groups ate the same quantity of chow during refeeding and both groups gorged on palatable diet during test meals at a very high constant intensity in HEPa rats. After one week of refeeding, ghrelin levels remained elevated in HEPa rats (+33.2%; P <0.001) while returning to baseline in LF rats. Plasma leptin remained low in LF rats. We conclude that weight loss on a palatable diet is possible if total energy intake is controlled. After stopping restriction, when a palatable diet is available, observed gorging might be dependent on specific ghrelin and leptin changes.