Anti-obesity effects of DHA and EPA in high fat-induced insulin resistant mice

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5) have been reported to improve metabolic disorders, but their differential effects on anti-obesity under insulin resistance (IR) are still unclear. We fed IR mice with high-fat diet with added 1%, 2%, 4% (w/w) DHA or EPA for 12 weeks. Changes in weight, food intake, white adipose tissue (WAT), liver and blood lipids were assessed. GPR120 and PPAR gamma of WAT were evaluated to explore the related molecular mechanisms of DHA and EPA for anti-obesity in IR mice. 1%DHA and 1%EPA inhibit adipogenesis by down-regulating GPR120; 4%DHA stimulates browning of WAT and improves IR and inflammatory infiltration by up-regulating PPAR gamma; 4%EPA exerts its anti-obesity effect by mechanisms independent of PPAR gamma and GPR120 signaling.

Automated summary

The study found that DHA and EPA have different mechanisms in anti-obesity in insulin-resistant mice. Specifically, 1% DHA and EPA can inhibit adipogenesis by regulating GPR120, while 4% DHA can stimulate browning of adipose tissue by up-regulating PPAR-γ, improving insulin resistance and inflammatory infiltration.