Chen CS, Bench EM, Allerton TD, Schreiber AL, Arceneaux KP 3rd, Primeaux SD. Preference for linoleic acid in obesity-prone and obesityresistant rats is attenuated by the reduction of CD36 on the tongue. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 305: R1346-R1355, 2013. First published October 23, 2013 doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00582.2012.-Differential sensing of dietary fat and fatty acids by the oral cavity is proposed to regulate the susceptibility to obesity. In the current experiments, animals that differ in their susceptibility to obesity were used to investigate the influence of the oral cavity on the preference for the polyunsaturated fatty acid, linoleic acid. In experiment 1, the preference for differing concentrations of linoleic acid was determined in obesity-prone Osborne-Mendel (OM) and obesity-resistant S5B/Pl (S5B) rats. The preference threshold for linoleic acid was lower in S5B rats, compared with OM rats. To determine whether differences in linoleic acid preference threshold were related to innate strain differences in the fatty acid receptors on the tongue, the expression of GPR120, GPR40, and CD36 on the circumvallate papillae were assessed in OM and S5B rats. Results indicated that the expression of CD36, GPR40, and GPR120 did not differ between these two strains. Numerous studies have examined the role of CD36 on fat intake; therefore, in experiment 3, RNA interference was used to decrease the expression of CD36 on the tongues of OM and S5B rats, and the effect of decreased CD36 expression on linoleic acid preference was determined. CD36 siRNA attenuated linoleic acid preference for the most preferred concentration in both OM and S5B rats. Overall, these data indicate that there are innate differences in the preference threshold for linoleic acid in obesity-prone and obesity-resistant rats. Experimentally reducing the expression of CD36 on the circumvallate papillae attenuated the preference for linoleic acid in both strains. preference threshold; obesity-prone; obesity-resistant; CD36; taste CONSUMPTION OF AN ENERGY-DENSE, high-fat diet has been associated with an increased risk for developing obesity (23). The detection of dietary fat and subsequent fat intake are mediated by input from the oral cavity and by postingestive effects (12). The ability to sense dietary fat in the oral cavity has two main functions: 1) mediation of the cephalic phase response and 2) regulation of food intake (12, 31). Differences in fat/fatty acid sensors in the oral cavity have been proposed as potential mechanisms contributing to the susceptibility of becoming obese. This is characterized by a subset of individuals who become obese on a high-fat diet (HFD) and another subset of individuals that are resistant to becoming obese when consuming a HFD (15,24,31,33). Understanding the detection and regulation of fat intake by fat/fatty acid sensors in the oral cavity may elucidate the mechanisms by which individuals develop preferences for high-fat foods, overconsume dietary fat, and subsequently become obese.Demonstration...

Estradiol (E2) is a potent regulator of feeding behavior, body weight and adiposity in females. The hypothalamic neuropeptide, QRFP, is an orexigenic peptide that increases the consumption of high fat diet (HFD) in intact female rats. Therefore, the goal of the current series of studies was to elucidate the effects of E2 on the expression of hypothalamic QRFP and its receptors, QRFP-r1 and QRFP-r2, in female rats fed a HFD. Alterations in prepro-QRFP, QRFP-r1, and QRFP-r2 expression across the estrous cycle, following ovariectomy (OVX) and following estradiol benzoate (EB) treatment were assessed in the ventral medial nucleus of the hypothalamus/arcuate nucleus (VMH/ARC) and the lateral hypothalamus. In intact females, consumption of HFD increased prepro-QRFP and QRFP-r1 mRNA levels in the VMH/ARC during diestrus, a phase associated with increased food intake and low levels of E2. To assess the effects of diminished endogenous E2, rats were ovariectomized. HFD consumption and OVX increased prepro-QRFP mRNA in the VMH/ARC. Ovariectomized rats consuming HFD expressed the highest levels of QRFP. In the third experiment, all rats received EB replacement every 4 days following OVX to examine the effects of E2 on QRFP expression. Prepro-QRFP, QRFP-r1 and QRFP-r2 mRNA were assessed prior to and following EB administration. EB replacement significantly reduced prepro-QRFP mRNA expression in the VMH/ARC. Overall these studies support a role for E2 in the regulation of prepro-QRFP mRNA in the VMH/ARC and suggest that E2’s effects on food intake may be via a direct effect on the orexigenic peptide, QRFP.

Objective Caffeine and ephedrine was an effective combination therapy for weight loss until ephedrine was removed from the market due to safety concerns. We investigated the combination of caffeine and albuterol as a possibly safer alternative to ephedrine. Design and Methods In a series of experiments using cultured adipocytes, rat models, and humans, we evaluated the effects of caffeine and albuterol on lipolysis, metabolic rate, food intake, and body composition. Results Both caffeine and albuterol enhanced lipolysis in cultured adipocytes. Acute treatment of humans with caffeine and/or albuterol increased resting metabolic rate. Longer-term studies of rats revealed a trend for increased metabolic rate with albuterol treatment. There was increased lean mass gain concurrent with decreased fat mass gain with caffeine/albuterol treatment that was greater than albuterol treatment alone. Conclusions In rats, albuterol with caffeine produced significantly greater increases in lean body mass and reductions in fat mass without changes in food intake after 4-8 weeks of treatment. Since caffeine and albuterol are approved for the treatment of asthma in children and adolescents at the doses tested and change body composition without changing food intake, this combination may deserve further exploration for use in treating pediatric obesity.