Fish oil ameliorates trimethylamine N-oxide-exacerbated glucose intolerance in high-fat diet-fed mice

Food Funct. 2015 Apr;6(4):1117-25. doi: 10.1039/c5fo00007f.

Abstract

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a component commonly present in seafood, has been found to have a harmful impact on glucose tolerance in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. However, seafood also contains fish oil (FO), which has been shown to have beneficial effects on metabolism. Here, we investigated the effect of FO on TMAO-induced impaired glucose tolerance in HFD-fed mice. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to the high fat (HF), TMAO, and fish oil groups. The HF group was fed a diet containing 25% fat, the TMAO group was fed the HFD plus 0.2% TMAO, and the FO group was fed the HFD plus 0.2% TMAO and 2% fish oil for 12 weeks. After 10 weeks of feeding, oral glucose tolerance tests were performed. Dietary FO improved the fasting glucose level, the fasting insulin level, HOMA-IR value, QUICKI score and ameliorated TMAO-induced exacerbated impaired glucose tolerance in HFD-fed mice. These effects were associated with the expression of genes related to the insulin signalling pathway, glycogen synthesis, gluconeogenesis, and glucose transport in peripheral tissues. Dietary fish oil also decreased TMAO-aggravated adipose tissue inflammation. Our results suggested that dietary FO ameliorated TMAO-induced impaired glucose tolerance, insulin signal transduction in peripheral tissue, and adipose tissue inflammation in HFD-fed mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adiponectin / blood
  • Adipose Tissue / drug effects
  • Adipose Tissue / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism
  • Chemokine CCL2 / blood
  • Cholesterol, HDL / blood
  • Cholesterol, LDL / blood
  • Diet, High-Fat / adverse effects*
  • Dietary Fats
  • Fish Oils / administration & dosage*
  • Glucose Intolerance / chemically induced
  • Glucose Intolerance / drug therapy*
  • Glucose Tolerance Test
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Insulin / blood
  • Interleukin-10 / blood
  • Interleukin-18 / blood
  • Interleukin-1beta / blood
  • Interleukin-6 / blood
  • Male
  • Methylamines / adverse effects*
  • Methylamines / blood
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Signal Transduction
  • Triglycerides / blood
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / blood

Substances

  • Adiponectin
  • Blood Glucose
  • Ccl2 protein, mouse
  • Chemokine CCL2
  • Cholesterol, HDL
  • Cholesterol, LDL
  • Dietary Fats
  • Fish Oils
  • Insulin
  • Interleukin-18
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • Interleukin-6
  • Methylamines
  • Triglycerides
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Interleukin-10
  • trimethyloxamine