Chronic corticosterone administration in male mice increased epididymal fat accumulation and impaired mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative function in epididymal white adipose tissue.
Does chronic corticosterone exposure induce epididymal adiposity and mitochondrial dysfunction in male C57BL/6J mice?
Chronic corticosterone administration induces epididymal adiposity and adipocyte hyperplasia in mice, which is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in white adipose tissue.
p-value: p=<0.05
Prolonged and excessive glucocorticoids (GC) exposure resulted from Cushing's syndrome or GC therapy develops central obesity. Moreover, mitochondria are crucial in adipose energy homeostasis. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that mitochondrial dysfunction may contribute to chronic GC exposure-induced epididymal adiposity in the present study. A total of thirty-six 5-week-old male C57BL/6J mice (∼20 g) were administrated with 100 µg/ml corticosterone (CORT) or vehicle through drinking water for 4 weeks. Chronic CORT exposure mildly decreased body weight without altering food and water intake in mice. The epididymal fat accumulation was increased, but adipocyte size was decreased by CORT. CORT also increased plasma CORT, insulin, leptin, and fibroblast growth factor 21 concentrations as measured by RIA or ELISA. Interestingly, CORT increased plasma levels of triacylglycerols and nonesterified fatty acids, and up-regulated the expression of both lipolytic and lipogenic genes as determined by real-time RT-PCR. Furthermore, CORT impaired mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative function in epididymal WAT. The reactive oxygen species production was increased and the activities of anti-oxidative enzymes were reduced by CORT treatment as well. Taken together, these findings reveal that chronic CORT administration-induced epididymal adiposity is, at least in part, associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in mouse epididymal white adipose tissue.
Yu et al. (Wed,) conducted a other in Epididymal adiposity (n=36). Corticosterone vs. Vehicle (1% ethanol in tap water) was evaluated on Epididymal white adipose tissue mass and mitochondrial function (p=<0.05). Chronic corticosterone administration in male mice increased epididymal fat accumulation and impaired mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative function in epididymal white adipose tissue.