pectins and Insulin-Resistance

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common cause of liver disease in the United States. There are no drug therapies approved for the treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Multiple different pathways are involved in the pathogenesis and each can be the target of the therapy. It is possible that more than 1 target is involved in disease development and progression. Multiple clinical trials with promising agents are underway. Because NASH is a slowly progressive disease and treatment likely to be of prolonged duration, acceptance and approval of any agent will require information on long-term clinical benefits and safety.

Topics: Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Antioxidants; Caspase Inhibitors; Chenodeoxycholic Acid; Cholic Acids; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Humans; Incretins; Insulin Resistance; Liraglutide; Liver X Receptors; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Pectins; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; Sodium-Glucose Transporter 2; Sodium-Glucose Transporter 2 Inhibitors

This study investigates whether pectin supplementation in adult rats can ameliorate age-associated disturbances in peripheral insulin and leptin actions.. Seven-month-old male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control (rats fed ad libitum a standard-diet), pectin (rats fed ad libitum a standard-diet supplemented with 10% pectin), and pair-fed (rats pair-fed to the pectin group). They were sacrificed after 1 month. Pectin and pair-fed rats showed lower body weight gain and food intake than controls and underwent a decrease in leptin levels and an increase in adiponectin levels. Pectin-treated animals, but not pair-fed ones, showed lower body-fat content and HOMA-IR index after dietary intervention. Compared to controls, pectin-treated rats showed a decline in the expression of genes related to energy uptake (WAT) and lipogenesis (WAT and liver), and increased expression levels of lipolysis- and fatty-acid oxidation-related genes (liver). Some of the changes were not evidenced in the pair-fed group. These effects appear to be associated with improved leptin signaling.. Ten percent pectin supplementation for 1 month in adult rats decreases body-fat content and ameliorates age-related insulin and leptin resistance more intensely than what could be attributed to the decrease in energy intake, overall contributing to better metabolic health.

Topics: Adipose Tissue, White; Aging; Animals; Body Composition; Body Weight; Dietary Fiber; Dietary Supplements; Eating; Gene Expression Regulation; Insulin Resistance; Leptin; Liver; Male; Pectins; Proteins; Rats, Wistar; Stomach

In this study, we evaluated the effect of a highly methoxylated apple pectin (HMAP) on cardiometabolic risk factors in Zucker fatty rats. beta-Glucan, a fiber known for its hypocholesterolemic properties, also was used. The rats fed both fiber-enriched diets exhibited a reduction in body weight and in total cholesterol and triglycerides when compared to the Zucker fatty rats fed the standard diet. The effect on the lipid profile was more remarkable in the HMAP group. A decrease in blood glucose was only noticed in this group. Moreover, a decrease in plasma insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-beta was noticed in the fiber groups, and in particular in the HMAP group, these variables being similar to the lean rats. Blood pressure and endothelial function were similar in all the Zucker fatty rats. These results warrant evaluation in humans to determine if HMAP could be used as a functional ingredient to reduce lipid profile, insulin resistance, and other cardiometabolic risk factors.

Topics: Animals; Blood Glucose; Blood Pressure; Cardiovascular Diseases; Dietary Fiber; Endothelium, Vascular; Female; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Lipids; Malus; Metabolic Syndrome; Obesity; Pectins; Rats; Rats, Zucker; Risk Factors