Nutr Res Pract.  2012 Jun;6(3):195-200.

alpha-Lipoic acid reduced weight gain and improved the lipid profile in rats fed with high fat diet

• Seo EY
• Ha AW
• Kim WK

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of alpha-lipoic acid on body weight and lipid profiles in Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high fat diet (HFD). After 4 weeks of feeding, rats on the HFD were divided into three groups by randomized block design; the first group received the high-fat-diet (n = 10), and the second group received the HFD administered with 0.25% alpha-lipoic acid (0.25LA), and the third group received the high-fat diet with 0.5% alpha-lipoic acid (0.5LA). The high fat diet with alpha-lipoic acid supplemented groups had significantly inhibited body weight gain, compared to that in the HFD group (P < 0.05). Organ weights of rats were also significantly reduced in liver, kidney, spleen, and visible fat tissues in rats supplemented with alpha-lipoic acid (P < 0.05). Significant differences in plasma lipid profiles, such as total lipids, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein, were observed between the HFD and 0.5LA groups. The atherogenic index and the plasma high density lipoprotein-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio improved significantly with alpha-lipoic acid supplementation in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Total hepatic cholesterol and total lipid concentration decreased significantly in high fat fed rats supplemented with alpha-lipoic acid in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05), whereas liver triglyceride content was not affected. In conclusion, alpha-lipoic acid supplementation had a positive effect on weight gain and plasma and liver lipid profiles in rats.

Keyword

alpha-Lipoic acid; high fat diet; weight loss; lipid profiles

MeSH Terms

Animals
Body Weight
Cholesterol
Diet, High-Fat
Kidney
Lipoproteins
Liver
Organ Size
Plasma
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Spleen
Thioctic Acid
Triglycerides
Weight Gain
Weight Loss
Cholesterol
Lipoproteins
Thioctic Acid
Triglycerides

Reference

1. Haslam DW, James WP. Obesity. Lancet. 2005. 366:1197–1209.

2. Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Ogden CL, Curtin LR. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999-2008. JAMA. 2010. 303:235–241.

3. Noh SK. Functional action of flavonoids for treatment of obesity. Food Ind Nutr. 2002. 7:27–29.

4. Doggrell SA. Alpha-lipoic acid, an anti-obesity agent? Expert Opin Investig Drugs. 2004. 13:1641–1643.

5. Jung SR, Kim YJ, Gwon AR, Lee J, Jo DG, Jeon TJ, Hong JW, Park KM, Park KW. Genistein mediates the anti-adipogenic actions of Sophora japonica L. extracts. J Med Food. 2011. 14:360–368.

6. Scott BC, Aruoma OI, Evans PJ, O'Neill C, Van der Vliet A, Cross CE, Tritschler H, Halliwell B. Lipoic and dihydrolipoic acids as antioxidants. A critical evaluation. Free Radic Res. 1994. 20:119–133.

7. Liu J, Head E, Gharib AM, Yuan W, Ingersoll RT, Hagen TM, Cotman CW, Ames BN. Memory loss in old rats is associated with brain mitochondrial decay and RNA/DNA oxidation: partial reversal by feeding acetyl-L-carnitine and/or R-alpha-lipoic acid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002. 99:2356–2361.

8. Han D, Sen CK, Roy S, Kobayashi MS, Tritschler HJ, Packer L. Protection against glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in C6 glial cells by thiol antioxidants. Am J Physiol. 1997. 273:R1771–R1778.

9. Mihai B, Lăcătuşu C, Graur M, Cijevschi-Prelipcean C, Mihai C. Pharmacologic therapy in peripheral diabetic polyneuropathy. Rev Med Chir Soc Med Nat Iasi. 2010. 114:332–341.

10. Ying Z, Kherada N, Farrar B, Kampfrath T, Chung Y, Simonetti O, Deiuliis J, Desikan R, Khan B, Villamena F, Sun Q, Parthasarathy S, Rajagopalan S. Lipoic acid effects on established atherosclerosis. Life Sci. 2010. 86:95–102.

11. Foo NP, Lin SH, Lee YH, Wu MJ, Wang YJ. α-Lipoic acid inhibits liver fibrosis through the attenuation of ROS-triggered signaling in hepatic stellate cells activated by PDGF and TGF-β. Toxicology. 2011. 282:39–46.

12. Kandeil MA, Amin KA, Hassanin KA, Ali KM, Mohammed ET. Role of lipoic acid on insulin resistance and leptin in experimentally diabetic rats. J Diabetes Complications. 2011. 25:31–38.

13. Sena CM, Nunes E, Louro T, Proença T, Fernandes R, Boarder MR, Seiça RM. Effects of alpha-lipoic acid on endothelial function in aged diabetic and high-fat fed rats. Br J Pharmacol. 2008. 153:894–906.

14. Lee WJ, Song KH, Koh EH, Won JC, Kim HS, Park HS, Kim MS, Kim SW, Lee KU, Park JY. Alpha-lipoic acid increases insulin sensitivity by activating AMPK in skeletal muscle. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2005. 332:885–891.

15. Kim MS, Park JY, Namkoong C, Jang PG, Ryu JW, Song HS, Yun JY, Namgoong IS, Ha J, Park IS, Lee IK, Viollet B, Youn JH, Lee HK, Lee KU. Anti-obesity effects of alpha-lipoic acid mediated by suppression of hypothalamic AMP-activated protein kinase. Nat Med. 2004. 10:727–733.

16. Reeves PG, Nielsen FH, Fahey GC Jr. AIN-93 purified diets for laboratory rodents: final report of the American Institute of Nutrition ad hoc writing committee on the reformulation of the AIN-76A rodent diet. J Nutr. 1993. 123:1939–1951.

17. Frings CS, Dunn RT. A colorimetric method for determination of total serum lipids based on the sulfo-phospho-vanillin reaction. Am J Clin Pathol. 1970. 53:89–91.

18. Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources. Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. 1996. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press.

19. Friedewald WT, Levy RI, Fredrickson DS. Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. Clin Chem. 1972. 18:499–502.

20. Haglund O, Luostarinen R, Wallin R, Wibell L, Saldeen T. The effects of fish oil on triglycerides, cholesterol, fibrinogen and malondialdehyde in humans supplemented with vitamin E. J Nutr. 1991. 121:165–169.

21. Folch J, Lees M, Sloane Stanley GH. A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipides from animal tissues. J Biol Chem. 1957. 226:497–509.

22. Zhang WJ, Bird KE, McMillen TS, LeBoeuf RC, Hagen TM, Frei B. Dietary alpha-lipoic acid supplementation inhibits atherosclerotic lesion development in apolipoprotein E-deficient and apolipoprotein E/low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice. Circulation. 2008. 117:421–428.

23. Shen QW, Jones CS, Kalchayanand N, Zhu MJ, Du M. Effect of dietary alpha-lipoic acid on growth, body composition, muscle pH, and AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in mice. J Anim Sci. 2005. 83:2611–2617.

24. Cheng PY, Lee YM, Yen MH, Peng JC, Lam KK. Reciprocal effects of α-lipoic acid on adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase activity in obesity induced by ovariectomy in rats. Menopause. 2011. 18:1010–1017.

25. Teachey MK, Taylor ZC, Maier T, Saengsirisuwan V, Sloniger JA, Jacob S, Klatt MJ, Ptock A, Kraemer K, Hasselwander O, Henriksen EJ. Interactions of conjugated linoleic acid and lipoic acid on insulin action in the obese Zucker rat. Metabolism. 2003. 52:1167–1174.

26. Yang RL, Li W, Shi YH, Le GW. Lipoic acid prevents high-fat diet-induced dyslipidemia and oxidative stress: a microarray analysis. Nutrition. 2008. 24:582–588.

27. Kumar SA, Sudhahar V, Varalakshmi P. Protective role of eicosapentaenoate-lipoate (EPA-LA) derivative in combating oxidative hepatocellular injury in hypercholesterolemic atherogenesis. Atherosclerosis. 2006. 189:115–122.

28. Kumar SA, Sudhahar V, Varalakshmi P. Attenuation of serum lipid abnormalities and cardiac oxidative stress by eicosapentaenoate-lipoate (EPA-LA) derivative in experimental hypercholesterolemia. Clin Chim Acta. 2005. 355:197–204.