Toxicol Res.  2013 Mar;29(1):7-14.

Betaine Alleviates Hypertriglycemia and Tau Hyperphosphorylation in db/db Mice

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. hye0414@snu.ac.kr
  • 2Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

Betaine supplementation has been shown to alleviate altered glucose and lipid metabolism in mice fed a high-fat diet or a high-sucrose diet. We investigated the beneficial effects of betaine in diabetic db/db mice. Alleviation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and oxidative stress was also examined in the livers and brains of db/db mice fed a betaine-supplemented diet. Male C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice were fed with or without 1% betaine for 5 wk (referred to as the db/db-betaine group and the db/db group, respectively). Lean non-diabetic db/+ mice were used as the control group. Betaine supplementation significantly alleviated hyperinsulinemia in db/db mice. Betaine reduced hepatic expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha, a major transcription factor involved in gluconeogenesis. Lower serum triglyceride concentrations were also observed in the db/db-betaine group compared to the db/db group. Betaine supplementation induced hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a mRNA levels, and reduced acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity. Mice fed a betaine-supplemented diet had increased total glutathione concentrations and catalase activity, and reduced lipid peroxidation levels in the liver. Furthermore, betaine also reduced ER stress in liver and brain. c-Jun N-terminal kinase activity and tau hyperphosphorylation levels were lower in db/db mice fed a betaine-supplemented diet, compared to db/db mice. Our findings suggest that betaine improves hyperlipidemia and tau hyperphosphorylation in db/db mice with insulin resistance by alleviating ER and oxidative stress.

Keyword

Betaine; db/db mice; ER stress; Insulin resistance; Oxidative stress; Tau phosphorylation

MeSH Terms

Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase
Animals
Betaine
Brain
Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase
Catalase
Diet
Diet, High-Fat
Endoplasmic Reticulum
Gluconeogenesis
Glucose
Glutathione
Humans
Hyperinsulinism
Hyperlipidemias
Insulin Resistance
JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
Lipid Metabolism
Lipid Peroxidation
Liver
Male
Mice
Oxidative Stress
PPAR alpha
PPAR gamma
RNA, Messenger
Transcription Factors
Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase
Betaine
Carnitine O-Palmitoyltransferase
Catalase
Glucose
Glutathione
JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
PPAR alpha
PPAR gamma
RNA, Messenger
Transcription Factors
Full Text Links
  • TR
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr