Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the effects of full-fat rice bran (FFRB; Tainung No. 81, Taiwan) at various doses on insulin resistance, muscle atrophy, and gut microbiota composition in middle-aged ovariectomized (OVX) mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD), using young sham-operated mice as a life-stage reference group. Methods: Thirty-six female ICR mice were assigned to six groups, including OVX mice fed HFD with or without 5%, 10%, or 20% FFRB. Results: Compared with HFD-fed OVX controls, 20% FFRB reduced body weight gain by 43%, decreased visceral fat mass, and improved insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, HOMA-IR reduced by 65%, Ptrend = 0. 001). FFRB attenuated the decline in relative grip strength (forelimb, Ptrend = 0. 013; four-limb, Ptrend < 0. 001), and upregulated muscle protein synthesis genes, including insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 (eIF-4EBP1), while downregulating forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1), muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MuRF-1), and interleukin (IL) -6. FFRB was also associated with higher fecal acetate levels (Ptrend < 0. 001), upregulated colonic tight junction genes (occludin and zonula occludens (ZO) -1), and greater relative abundance of gMuribaculum. Correlation analyses revealed positive associations between short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and muscle strength, muscle anabolic markers, genus LachnospiraceaeUCG₀01, and Muribaculum. Conclusions: Dietary inclusion of FFRB was associated with favorable metabolic and muscle-related parameters in HFD-fed middle-aged OVX mice, with potential involvement of gut microbiota and SCFA alterations.
Loe et al. (Sat,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: