Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation reduces adipose tissue by apoptosis and develops lipodystrophy in mice

Diabetes. 2000 Sep;49(9):1534-42. doi: 10.2337/diabetes.49.9.1534.

Abstract

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a naturally occurring group of dienoic derivatives of linoleic acid found in beef and dairy products. CLA has been reported to reduce body fat. To examine the mechanism(s) of CLA reduction of fat mass, female C57BL/6J mice were fed standard semipurified diets (10% fat of total energy) with or without CLA (1% wt/wt). Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick endlabeling (TUNEL) and DNA fragmentation analysis revealed that fat-mass decrease by CLA was mainly due to apoptosis. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and uncoupling protein (UCP)-2 mRNA levels increased 12- and 6-fold, respectively, in isolated adipocytes from CLA-fed mice compared with control mice. Because it is known that TNF-alpha induces apoptosis of adipocytes and upregulates UCP2 mRNA, a marked increase of TNF-alpha mRNA with an increase of UCP2 in adipocytes caused CLA-induced apoptosis. However, with a decrease of fat mass, CLA supplementation resulted in a state resembling lipoatrophic diabetes: ablation of brown adipose tissue, a marked reduction of white adipose tissue, marked hepatomegaly, and marked insulin resistance. CLA supplementation decreased blood leptin levels, but continuous leptin infusion reversed hyperinsulinemia, indicating that leptin depletion contributes to the development of insulin resistance. These results demonstrate that intake of CLA reduces adipose tissue by apoptosis and results in lipodystrophy, but hyperinsulinemia by CLA can be normalized by leptin administration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / cytology
  • Adipose Tissue / drug effects
  • Adipose Tissue / pathology*
  • Adipose Tissue, Brown / drug effects
  • Adipose Tissue, Brown / pathology
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • Body Weight
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Female
  • Ion Channels
  • Linoleic Acids / administration & dosage
  • Linoleic Acids / pharmacology*
  • Linoleic Acids / toxicity*
  • Lipodystrophy / chemically induced*
  • Lipodystrophy / pathology
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / pathology
  • Membrane Transport Proteins*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mitochondrial Proteins*
  • Models, Biological
  • Organ Size / drug effects
  • Proteins / genetics*
  • Transcription, Genetic / drug effects
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / genetics
  • Uncoupling Protein 2

Substances

  • Ion Channels
  • Linoleic Acids
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Mitochondrial Proteins
  • Proteins
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Ucp2 protein, mouse
  • Uncoupling Protein 2