Oleanolic acid improves diet-induced obesity by modulating fat preference and inflammation in mice

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Metabolic Disorders
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Obesity is linked to altered taste perception of dietary fats.
• High-fat diets (HFD) can trigger obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
• Oleanolic acid (OLA) shows potential anti-obesity effects in preclinical studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate OLA's role in modulating oro-sensory lipid perception in HFD-induced obese mice.
• To understand OLA's impact on taste receptors and metabolic parameters.
• To explore OLA's influence on gene expression related to inflammation and lipid metabolism.

Main Methods:

• Administration of OLA to control and HFD-induced obese mice.
• Assessment of body weight, liver weight, and adipose tissue mass.
• Measurement of glucose tolerance, insulin levels, plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and hepatic lipid concentrations.
• Analysis of fat preference, CD36 mRNA expression, and intracellular calcium levels in taste bud cells.
• Evaluation of pro-inflammatory and lipogenic gene expression in liver and adipose tissue.

Main Results:

• OLA treatment reduced body, liver, and visceral adipose tissue weights in obese mice.
• Improved glucose tolerance, insulin levels, and reduced plasma LPS were observed with OLA.
• OLA increased fat preference in obese mice, linked to higher CD36 mRNA expression and calcium signaling in taste bud cells.
• OLA modulated the expression of genes involved in inflammation (IL-1β, IL-6) and lipid metabolism (PPARα, SREBP1, FAS, ChREBP, G6Pase).

Conclusions:

• Oleanolic acid enhances gustatory perception of lipids in obese mice.
• OLA exerts protective effects against obesity by improving metabolic parameters and modulating inflammatory and lipogenic pathways.
• OLA represents a potential therapeutic agent for managing obesity and related metabolic disturbances.