A high-protein, high-fat, carbohydrate-free diet reduces energy intake, hepatic lipogenesis, and adiposity in rats

J Nutr. 2006 May;136(5):1256-60. doi: 10.1093/jn/136.5.1256.

Abstract

The aim of this work was to determine the effects in rats of ingesting 1 of 3 diets with normal or high protein concentrations and various carbohydrate:lipid ratios on weight gain, body composition, and the development and metabolism of white adipose tissue (WAT). For this purpose, male Wistar rats were fed for 20 or 42 d a high-carbohydrate, low-fat, normal-protein diet (76, 10, and 14% of energy as carbohydrate, lipid, and protein, respectively, carbohydrate:lipid ratio (C/L) = 7.6), a normal-carbohydrate, low-fat, high-protein diet (35, 10, and 55% of energy as carbohydrate, lipid, and protein respectively, C:L = 3.5), or a carbohydrate-free, high-fat, high-protein diet (45 and 55% of energy as fat and protein, respectively, C:L = 0). Growth, food intake, body composition, WAT cellularity, and several markers of lipogenesis including fatty acid synthase and lipoprotein lipase activities were measured in adipose tissue and liver. Lowering the C:L ratio reduced the development of WAT, weight gain, body fat mass, and adipocyte size, and in rats fed the carbohydrate-free diet (C:L = 0), the total number of adipocytes in subcutaneous WAT. These reductions in adipose tissue development with decreases in the C:L ratio of the diet seemed to be due primarily to reduced hepatic lipogenesis.

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / physiology*
  • Animal Feed
  • Animals
  • Diet
  • Dietary Carbohydrates*
  • Dietary Fats / pharmacology*
  • Dietary Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Energy Intake
  • Liver / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Weight Gain

Substances

  • Dietary Carbohydrates
  • Dietary Fats
  • Dietary Proteins