Time-dependent effects of a high-energy-yielding diet on the regulation ofspecific white adipose tissue genes

White adipose tissue development is regulated by many factors, including th e energy content of food and the genetic background. Nevertheless, little i s known about possible differential effects of high-fat palatable diets whe n fed for short or longtime periods. Thus, the expression of certain genes involved with lipid metabolism (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, PPAR gamma2; retinoic receptors; fatty acid binding protein, aP2 and uncoupling proteins, UCP) may be affected by those dietary manipulations ( high-energy-yielding diet and time duration of feeding). High-fat feeding f or 8 days decreased mRNA UCP3 levels compared to control fed animals, while feeding for 30 days increased them over controls. Similar findings occurre d for PPAR gamma2 and aP2. Furthermore, statistically significant associati ons were found among PPAR gamma2, aP2 and UCP3 mRNA levels. These data sugg est a physiological time-dependent response seeking to prevent excessive fa t deposition when animals are fed for short-term with a high amount of diet ary fat, which was followed by an adaptive period to the high-energy conten t of diet throughout a coregulation among certain lipid metabolism related genes: PPAR gamma2, aP2, UCP3. (C) 2001 Academic Press.