Food restriction is an intervention that may provide a method of body weight control to prevent and/or to treat of obesity - a major risk factor for diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis. However, its effectiveness and health benefits is still controversial. Usually some patients after food restriction gain body weight even over the value before treatment. The molecular mechanism(s) contributing to weight regain after food restriction is not clear. Our studies have shown that food restriction induces in rats a substantial decrease in: a) body and fat mass; b) serum triacylglycerol concentration; c) serum concentrations of factors controlling food intake and energy expenditure (leptin and NPY) and increase in serum adiponectin concentration. Moreover, food restriction increases in GLUT 4 mRNA level, lipogenic enzymes (fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, ATP-citrate lyase and malic enzyme) genes expression and measured in vivo fatty acids synthesis in adipose tissue. The increase in lipogenic activity of adipose tissue was associated with the increase of SREBP-1 gene expression (measured at the level of RNA and protein) in epididymal and perirenal white adipose tissue. Thus, food restriction increases the mature (nuclear) form of SREBP-1c level which in turn as transcription factor activates lipogenic enzymes genes expression and consequently fatty acid and triacylglycerol production. Moreover, the increase of NPY mRNA abundance in hypothalamus of rats maintained on restricted diet was observed. The results obtained suggest that food restriction could display beneficial effects including: decrease in body and fat mass, decrease in serum triacylglycerol concentration and increase concentration of serum adiponectin, an important anti-atherogenic, anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory adipokine. The reduction of fat mass, serum triacylglycerol concentration and increase in serum adiponectin concentration might be an essential preventive factors for cardiovascular disease. However, the increase in lipogenic activity of adipose tissue, decrease in serum leptin concentration and increase of NPY mRNA level in hypothalamus could be rather detrimental to dietary restricted patients because may contribute to weight gain after food restriction.

Praca częściowo finansowana ze środków na naukę w latach 2006-2008 jako projekt badawczy Nr N401 009 31/0150 (MNiSW). .

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