Acute Overfeeding Does Not Alter Liver or Adipose Tissue-Derived Cytokines in Healthy Humans

The secretions of liver-derived cytokines angiopoietin-like 6, insulin-like growth factor 1, selenoprotein-P and C-reactive protein and adipokines, adiponectin and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 are altered in obese individuals, and they directly induce insulin resistance in both cellular and animal models. This study is aimed at examining the effects of acute overnutrition on these cytokines in healthy individuals, and identifying association with markers of insulin resistance.

Thirty-one young healthy individuals (10 men, body mass index (BMI) 22.4 ± 2.7; 21 women, BMI 23.3 ± 4.9) were enrolled for the study. Metabolic assessments were done 3 days after an energy balanced diet (30% fat) and 3 days of a high-fat overfeeding diet (+1,250 kcal/day, 45% fat), and the assessments included the fasting body weight and blood samples to analyze the selected cytokines and evaluate the insulin sensitivity by a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (80 mU/m2/min).

Three days of overfeeding increased the body weight, fasting glucose and insulin, and thus the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. However, there were no changes in peripheral insulin sensitivity, or in the circulating cytokines assessed.

The hepatokines and adipokines assessed were not acutely sensitive to overnutrition in healthy individuals, despite increases in markers of hepatic insulin resistance.