Effect of trans-fat, fructose and monosodium glutamate feeding on feline weight gain, adiposity, insulin sensitivity, adipokine and lipid profile.

The incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing, and new experimental models are required to investigate the diverse aspects of these polygenic diseases, which are intimately linked in terms of aetiology. Feline T2DM has been shown to closely resemble human T2DM in terms of its clinical, pathological and physiological features. Our aim was to develop a feline model of diet-induced weight gain, adiposity and metabolic deregulation, and to examine correlates of weight and body fat change, insulin homeostasis, lipid profile, adipokines and clinical chemistry, in order to study associations which may shed light on the mechanism of diet-induced metabolic dysregulation.

Dietary trans-fat combined with monosodium glutamate induces dyslipidemia and impairs spatial memory.

Aims: Recent evidence suggests that intake of excessive dietary fat, particularly saturated fat and trans-hydrogenated oils (trans-fatty acids: TFA) can impair learning and memory. Central obesity, which can be induced by neonatal injections of monosodium Glutamate (MSG), also impairs learning and memory. To further clarify the effects of dietary fat and MSG, we treated C57BL/6J mice with either a TFA-enriched diet, dietary MSG, or a combination of both and examined serum lipid profile and spatial memory compared to mice fed standard chow.