OBJECTIVETo examine the effects of continuous and intermittent exercises on obesity and fatty liver in rats fed with high-fat diet.

METHODSWistar rats were randomly assigned into routine diet (R) and high-fat diet (H) groups, and each group were subdivided into sedentary group (S), continuous exercise (CE) group, and intermittent exercise (IE) group (n=8). In the CE group, the rats were forced to swim continuously for 90 min once daily, and those in the IE group swam for 30 min for 3 times (at a 4-h interval) daily. Both the CE and IE groups exercised for 5 days a week for 8 consecutive weeks. After the experiment, the retroperitoneal, epididymal, and visceral white and brown adipose tissues, the liver, and the gastrocnemius muscle of the rats were weighed. The lipogenesis rate was determined by incorporation of (3)H(2)0 into saponified lipids, and the blood lipid profiles were analyzed. The body weight and food intake of the rats were recorded daily.

RESULTSIE appeared to be more efficient than CE in reducing the adverse effects of high-fat diet and sedentarism. Compared with CE, IE resulted in an improved lipid profile with reduced food intake, body weight gain, visceral and central adiposity, and fatty liver. The effect of high-fat diet and different exercises on weight gain, adiposity, fatty liver, and lipid profile in rats was associated to the manner of exercise, time of each session, age, gender, and length of observation period.

CONCLUSIONIntermittent exercise is an important nonpharmacological strategy to control obesity and the related complications.

Animals ; Diet, High-Fat ; Fatty Liver ; etiology ; therapy ; Male ; Obesity ; etiology ; therapy ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; methods ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Human gut microbiota plays a key role in the development of obesity. Intestinal flora can regulate energy absorption and nutrition metabolism, increasing the energy harvesting from diet. Alteration of gut flora produces excessive lipopolysaccharide, which, when absorbed into the blood, can induce inflammatory reactions and promote the high-fat diet-associated obesity and metabolic syndrome. Intestinal flora increase visceral fat deposition by lowering the expression of Fiaf in intestinal mucosa. Different immune status also affects the intestinal flora.The gut microbiota is hypothesized to be an environmental factor that contributes to obesity; by interacting with factors such as host and diet, it adjusts the energy metabolism. Antibiotics or probiotics may alter the composition of intestinal microflora and improve the metabolic syndrome, and thus provides new treatment options.
Animals ; Diet, High-Fat ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; microbiology ; Humans ; Inflammation ; etiology ; Mice ; Obesity ; microbiology ; therapy ; Probiotics ; therapeutic use

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by a wide spectrum of liver damage spanning steatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cryptogenic liver cirrhosis, and even to hepatocellular carcinoma. Investigations in the last few years have focused on NASH, a relatively aggressive form of liver disease, due largely to the explosion of information provided by clinical and basic science studies related to the widespread presence of risk factors, such as obesity, type II diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. This is especially important given that obesity and type II diabetes mellitus have recently reached epidemic proportions in Korea. The pathogenesis of NASH is multifactorial, with insulin resistance and increased fatty acid possibly being important factors in the accumulation of hepatocellular fat, and oxidant stress, lipid peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and dysregulation of variable cytokines possibly being important causes of hepatocellular injury in steatotic liver. Because not all steatotic livers progress to NASH, some other environmental factors or a combination of genetic factors are thought to be required for progression to NASH and fibrosis. Lifestyle modifications continue to be the cornerstone therapy in NAFLD, but some insulin-sensitizing drugs might be more effective in treating NASH. Many pilot trials for antioxidants and lipid-lowering and hepatic protective agents have yielded promising initial results in improving liver enzymes or features of liver histology. However, the efficacy of these agents remains questionable. Despite recent gains in understanding NASH, several issues related to its natural history, pathogenesis, and treatment remain unresolved.
Adipose Tissue/metabolism ; Antilipemic Agents/therapeutic use ; Antioxidants/therapeutic use ; Fatty Liver/*etiology/*therapy ; Hepatitis/*etiology/therapy ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Life Style ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Mitochondria/metabolism ; Obesity/diet therapy/etiology ; Oxidative Stress ; Risk Factors

Because linseed oil may influence maternal and fetal metabolisms, we investigated its role in the modulation of lipid metabolism in cafeteria diet-induced obese rats and their offspring. Female Wistar rats were fed control or cafeteria food, which were either supplemented or not supplemented with linseed oil (5%) for 1 month before and during gestation. At parturition, serum and tissue lipids and enzyme activities were analyzed. Cafeteria diet induced adverse metabolic alterations in both mothers and offspring. Linseed oil improved metabolic status. In conclusion, linseed oil displayed health benefits by modulating tissue enzyme activities in both obese mothers and their newborns.
Animal Feed ; analysis ; Animals ; Diet ; adverse effects ; Dietary Supplements ; analysis ; Female ; Linseed Oil ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; Lipid Metabolism ; drug effects ; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; drug effects ; Obesity ; drug therapy ; etiology ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; drug therapy ; etiology ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study were to investigate the effects of a 12-week brisk walking program on triglycerides (TG) and apolipoprotein B (Apo B) and to compare these effects to those of a brisk walking plus diet program in middle-aged overweight/obese (BMI> or =23) Korean women with hypertriglyceridemia. METHOD: This analysis was done with nineteen middle-aged overweight/obese Korean women who completed either the brisk walking program (9 women) or the brisk walking plus diet program (10 women) for 12 weeks. The brisk walking consisted of walking for 20 to 50 minutes/day at an intensity of 40 to 70% of heart rate reserve (HRR) for 3 to 6 days/week. The diet consisted of 60 minutes of group education and 20 to 30 minutes of individual counseling every week. TG and Apo B were assessed pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: TG and Apo B decreased significantly after the brisk walking program (Z = -2.31, p = 0.021; Z = -2.59, p = 0.009). TG and Apo B lowering effects of the brisk walking program were not significantly different from those of the brisk walking plus diet program (U = 37.0, p = 0.549; U = 42.0, p = 0.842). CONCLUSION: Brisk walking can be an effective intervention for overweight/obese middle-aged women with hypertriglyceridemia in reducing cardiovascular risk by lowering TG and Apo B levels. Adding diet to brisk walking may have no additional significant effects on changes in TG and Apo B.
Adult ; Apolipoproteins B/blood ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology/prevention & control ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Counseling/organization & administration ; Diet, Fat-Restricted/*methods ; Energy Intake ; Exercise Test ; Exercise Therapy/education/*methods ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertriglyceridemia/blood/complications/epidemiology/*prevention & control ; Korea/epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Nursing Evaluation Research ; Obesity/complications/epidemiology/*prevention & control ; Patient Education as Topic/organization & administration ; Prevalence ; Risk Reduction Behavior ; Triglycerides/blood ; *Walking