Effects of the Long-Term Consumption of a High-Sucrose Diet on microRNA Expression in Visceral Adipose Tissue of Rats

Abstract

Noncoding microRNAs are involved in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism pathways and are powerful regulators of gene expression. The goals of this study were to evaluate the temporal expression profiles of miRNAs in rat adipose tissue and predict mRNA–microRNA interactions. Newly weaned Wistar rats were divided into groups fed a standard diet and high-sucrose diet (HSD). The HSD contains 66.86% carbohydrates (40.45% standard diet, 40.45% condensed milk, and 8.58% crystal sugar), and the HSD was provided for 4, 8 and 15-week periods to investigate the expression levels of miRNAs in visceral adipose tissue using RT–qPCR. Target selection, enriched pathways and networks were analyzed in silico. The factor consumption time significantly was associated to decreases (p < 0.05) in the expression levels of the following miRNAs: 124-5p, 125-5p, 126-5p, 200c-3p, and 212-3p in all experimental groups. The factor diet significantly influenced rno-miR-124-5p, 200c-3p, and 212-3p expression (p < 0.05). A significant reduction (p < 0.05) in rno-miR-27a-3p expression was observed. The biological processes involved key pathways regulating fat deposition. Our findings provide important insights into downregulated miRNA expression patterns in visceral adipose tissue, adiposity level, hyperinsulinemia and increased VLDL-c and triglyceride levels.