Omega-3 fatty acids improved serum lipid profiles and glucose metabolism without significant changes in body weight or energy intake.
n-3 fatty acids were evaluated in male C57BL/6 mice on a high-fat diet over 12 weeks.
Prdm16 expression was significantly higher in the group receiving 1.2% omega-3 fatty acids.
Histological analysis revealed that omega-3 fatty acids prevented the whitening of brown and promoted the browning of white adipose tissue.
Ucp1 immunoreactivity was significantly lower in the high-fat diet group compared to the control group.
These findings indicate that omega-3 fatty acids may exert protective effects on adipose tissue at genetic, biochemical, and histological levels.
Simplified
Obesity is a metabolic disorder characterized by excessive fat accumulation due to energy imbalance. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) on body weight, biochemical parameters, thermogenic gene expression, and morphology in a male C57BL/6 mice model of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity initiated at 4 weeks of age. After a one-week adaptation, mice were randomly divided into four groups: a control group fed a standard diet (CD) and three experimental groups fed a HFD alone or enriched with 1.2% or 2.4% n-3 FAs. All groups were fed ad libitum for 12 weeks. Feed intake and body weight were recorded, and glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed. Serum glucose, lipid profiles, insulin, leptin, and adiponectin levels were analyzed. Gene expression of uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (Pgc-1α), PR domain containing 16 (Prdm16), and G protein-coupled receptor 120 (Gpr120) was evaluated in brown adipose tissue (BAT), along with histological assessments of both BAT and white adipose tissue (WAT). n-3 FAs improved serum lipid profiles and glucose metabolism without significant changes in body weight or energy intake. Although no significant differences were observed in the expression of Ucp1, Pgc-1α, and Gpr120, Prdm16 expression was significantly higher in the 1.2% HFD group (p < 0.05). Histological analysis showed that n-3 FAs prevented BAT whitening, promoted WAT browning, and reduced inflammatory infiltration. Ucp1 immunoreactivity was significantly lower in the HFD group compared to the CD group (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that n-3 FAs exerts multifaceted protective effects on adipose tissue at genetic, biochemical, and histological levels, highlighting their potential in the management of diet-induced obesity.
Key numbers
Higher in the 1.2% HFD group vs. control
Increased Prdm16 Expression
Prdm16 gene expression measured in brown .
Body weight changes not significant among groups
No Significant Body Weight Change
Body weight changes recorded over 12 weeks.
Notable improvements in biochemical markers observed
Improved Serum Lipid Profiles
Biochemical parameters analyzed included glucose and lipid levels.
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Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. Ethics statement: This research was approved by Gazi University’s Animal Experiments Local Ethics Committee as a research project with registration number G.Ü.ET-22.031 on 24 February 2022. All stages of the study were conducted in compliance with the principles of the Gazi University Local Ethics Committee for Animal Experiments.
