Consuming Fructose-sweetened Beverages Increases Body Adiposity in Mice

• Published in: Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) Md.), 2005-07, Vol.13 (7), p.1146-1156
• Main Authors: Jůrgens, Hella, Haass, Wiltrud, Castañeda, Tamara R, Schůrmann, Annette, Koebnick, Corinna, Dombrowski, Frank, Otto, Bärbel, Nawrocki, Andrea R, Scherer, Philipp E, Spranger, Jochen, Ristow, Michael, Joost, Hans-Georg, Havel, Peter J, Tschöp, Matthias H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adipocytes; adipose tissue; Adipose Tissue - anatomy & histology; Adipose Tissue - growth & development; animal models; Animals; artificial sweeteners; balance studies; Beverages - adverse effects; Body Composition - drug effects; Body Constitution - drug effects; body fat distribution; Carbonated Beverages - adverse effects; energy balance; energy expenditure; energy intake; Energy Intake - drug effects; energy metabolism; Energy Metabolism - physiology; fructose; Fructose - administration & dosage; Fructose - metabolism; Fructose - pharmacology; lipogenesis; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Male; Mice; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - etiology; Obesity - metabolism; Oxidation-Reduction; rodent; soft drink; soft drinks; Sweetening Agents - administration & dosage; Sweetening Agents - pharmacology; Weight Gain - drug effects
• ISSN: 1071-7323; 1930-7381; 1550-8528; 1930-739X
• DOI: 10.1038/oby.2005.136

OBJECTIVE: The marked increase in the prevalence of obesity in theUnited States has recently been attributed to the increased fructoseconsumption. To determine if and how fructose might promote obesity inan animal model, we measured body composition, energy intake, energyexpenditure, substrate oxidation, and several endocrine parametersrelated to energy homeostasis in mice consuming fructose. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: We compared the effects of adlibitum access to fructose (15% solution in water), sucrose (10%,popular soft drink), and artificial sweetener (0% calories, populardiet soft drink) on adipogenesis and energy metabolism in mice. RESULTS: Exposure to fructose water increased adiposity, whereasincreased fat mass after consumption of soft drinks or diet soft drinksdid not reach statistical significance (n = 9 eachgroup). Total intake of energy was unaltered, because miceproportionally reduced their caloric intake from chow. There was atrend toward reduced energy expenditure and increased respiratoryquotient, albeit not significant, in the fructose group. Furthermore,fructose produced a hepatic lipid accumulation with a characteristicpericentral pattern. DISCUSSION: These data are compatible with the conclusion that ahigh intake of fructose selectively enhances adipogenesis, possiblythrough a shift of substrate use to lipogenesis.