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mdx Mice are Protected From Diet‐Induced Obesity Possibly Due to Increased Skeletal Muscle Energy Expenditure
Author(s) -
Kwon Frenk,
Gamu Daniel,
Tupling Allan Russell
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.1008.1
Subject(s) - endocrinology , medicine , obesity , mdx mouse , skeletal muscle , energy expenditure , duchenne muscular dystrophy , weight gain , biology , body weight , dystrophin
mdx mice, the murine model of Duchene muscular dystrophy, are characterized by aberrant skeletal‐muscle Ca 2+ handling and increased whole body energy expenditure. Increasing skeletal muscle energy expenditure is one mechanism that may protect against excessive weight gain and diet‐induced obesity. mdx mice have previously been shown to resist excessive adiposity when fed a diet moderately high in fat (16% kcal fat). However, it is not clear if this protection persists when they are provided with a typical Westernized high‐fat diet (HFD). We hypothesized that despite consuming a diet higher in fat (42% kcal fat), mdx mice would display a reduced obesity phenotype relative to wild‐type (WT) littermates. To examine this, animals were given ad libitum access to a HFD for 8 weeks, during which weight gain, food intake, and adiposity were examined. Metabolic efficiency, defined as cumulative mass gained divided by cumulative food consumed during the 8 weeks, was also determined. As hypothesized, mdx mice were protected against excessive obesity as seen by a 35% lower adiposity index ( P < 0.05) relative to WT littermates. This protection could not be explained by differences in food intake ( P = 0.85). However, metabolic efficiency was 13% lower ( P < 0.05) in the mdx mice, suggesting that energy expenditure was greater during the dietary period. In conclusion, mdx mice were protected against obesity despite consuming a standard Westernized HFD. Future directions will explore the possible muscular mechanism(s) that may convey this protection.