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Neonatal Fetal Nutrition & Metabolism

Neonatal Fetal Nutrition & Metabolism 2: Neonatal Nutrition, Growth, and Outcomes

323 - Body fat reducing effects of a whey protein diet

Friday, April 28, 2023

5:15 PM – 7:15 PM ET

Poster Number: 323
Publication Number: 323.129

Kimitaka Nakazaki, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, fuchu, Tokyo, Japan; Nobuhiko Nagano, Department Pediatrics and Child Health, Nihon Uviversity School of Medicine, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Daichi Katayama, Nihon University Itabashi Hospital, meguro, Tokyo, Japan; Shoichi Shimizu, Nihon University, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan; Ichiro Morioka, Nihon University School of Medicine, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan

Presenting Author(s)

NN

Nobuhiko Nagano, MD

Associate professor
Department Pediatrics and Child Health, Nihon Uviversity School of Medicine
Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Background: Childhood obesity is associated with the development of metabolic syndrome and juvenile type 2 diabetes. The main proteins ingested by humans are casein and whey. In recent years, the effect of whey protein on reducing body fat has attracted attention, but its mechanism has not yet been elucidated.

Objective: To compare effects of whey and casein proteins on body composition, and clarify the mechanism by which whey protein reduces body fat.

Design/Methods: This study was conducted with the approval of our animal ethics committee. Pregnant ICR mice were fed a whey (W) or casein (Cas) diet 24h post-confirmation of the presence of a vaginal plug. After birth, pups were fed by their birth mothers, who were maintained on their pregnancy W or Cas diet. After weaning at 4 wks, pups received the diets given to their birth mothers (n=6 pups for each group). At 12 wks of age, body weight, fat mass, fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin (IRI), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), cholesterol (Cho), and triglyceride (TG) were measured and compared between the two pup groups. Furthermore, expression levels of lipid metabolism-related genes in liver tissues and metabolomic data of fat tissues were compared.

Results: Body weight gain between pregnant mice given either W and Cas diet was not significantly different. Table 1 shows that birth weights of pups born from dams fed a W or Cas diet were similar. However, at 12 weeks of age, pups in the W group weighed less than those in the Cas group. In addition, fat mass, IRI, HOMA-IR, and TG were significantly lower in the W group (p< 0.05). Expression levels of hepatic lipid metabolism-related genes (e.g. PPARα [p=0.08]) tended to be higher in the W group. Metabolomic analysis of fat tissues showed that myo-Inositol triphosphate and glutathione, both have antioxidant effects, and 1-methyinicotinamide which has anti-inflammatory effects, were significantly higher in the W group (p< 0.05, Table 2).

Conclusion(s):

Whey protein has more antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties than casein protein, and may be the mechanism by which it exerts its fat-reducing effects.