The physiology of experimental overfeeding in animals
Background: Body weight is defended by strong homeostatic forces. Several of the key biological mechanisms that counteract weight loss have been unraveled over the last decades. In contrast, the mechanisms that protect body weight and fat mass from becoming too high remain largely unknown. Understan...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Molecular Metabolism |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212877822001429 |
| _version_ | 1798003222074359808 |
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| author | Pablo Ranea-Robles Jens Lund Christoffer Clemmensen |
| author_facet | Pablo Ranea-Robles Jens Lund Christoffer Clemmensen |
| author_sort | Pablo Ranea-Robles |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Body weight is defended by strong homeostatic forces. Several of the key biological mechanisms that counteract weight loss have been unraveled over the last decades. In contrast, the mechanisms that protect body weight and fat mass from becoming too high remain largely unknown. Understanding this aspect of energy balance regulation holds great promise for curbing the obesity epidemic. Decoding the physiological and molecular pathways that defend against weight gain can be achieved by an intervention referred to as ‘experimental overfeeding’. Scope of the review: In this review, we define experimental overfeeding and summarize the studies that have been conducted on animals. This field of research shows that experimental overfeeding induces a potent and prolonged hypophagic response that seems to be conserved across species and mediated by unidentified endocrine factors. In addition, the literature shows that experimental overfeeding can be used to model the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and that forced intragastric infusion of surplus calories lowers survival from infections. Finally, we highlight studies indicating that experimental overfeeding can be employed to study the transgenerational effects of a positive energy balance and how dietary composition and macronutrient content might impact energy homeostasis and obesity development in animals. Major conclusions: Experimental overfeeding of animals is a powerful yet underappreciated method to investigate the defense mechanisms against weight gain. This intervention also represents an alternative approach for studying the pathophysiology of metabolic liver diseases and the links between energy balance and infection biology. Future research in this field could help uncover why humans respond differently to an obesogenic environment and reveal novel pathways with therapeutic potential against obesity and cardiometabolic disorders. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:04:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cd73ae50d8254e6481165c436da0d7bb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2212-8778 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:04:25Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecular Metabolism |
| spelling | doaj.art-cd73ae50d8254e6481165c436da0d7bb2022-12-22T04:24:45ZengElsevierMolecular Metabolism2212-87782022-10-0164101573The physiology of experimental overfeeding in animalsPablo Ranea-Robles0Jens Lund1Christoffer Clemmensen2Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DenmarkNovo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DenmarkCorresponding author.; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DenmarkBackground: Body weight is defended by strong homeostatic forces. Several of the key biological mechanisms that counteract weight loss have been unraveled over the last decades. In contrast, the mechanisms that protect body weight and fat mass from becoming too high remain largely unknown. Understanding this aspect of energy balance regulation holds great promise for curbing the obesity epidemic. Decoding the physiological and molecular pathways that defend against weight gain can be achieved by an intervention referred to as ‘experimental overfeeding’. Scope of the review: In this review, we define experimental overfeeding and summarize the studies that have been conducted on animals. This field of research shows that experimental overfeeding induces a potent and prolonged hypophagic response that seems to be conserved across species and mediated by unidentified endocrine factors. In addition, the literature shows that experimental overfeeding can be used to model the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and that forced intragastric infusion of surplus calories lowers survival from infections. Finally, we highlight studies indicating that experimental overfeeding can be employed to study the transgenerational effects of a positive energy balance and how dietary composition and macronutrient content might impact energy homeostasis and obesity development in animals. Major conclusions: Experimental overfeeding of animals is a powerful yet underappreciated method to investigate the defense mechanisms against weight gain. This intervention also represents an alternative approach for studying the pathophysiology of metabolic liver diseases and the links between energy balance and infection biology. Future research in this field could help uncover why humans respond differently to an obesogenic environment and reveal novel pathways with therapeutic potential against obesity and cardiometabolic disorders.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212877822001429Experimental overfeedingIntragastric overfeedingObesityEnergy balanceAnimal modelsLeptin |
| spellingShingle | Pablo Ranea-Robles Jens Lund Christoffer Clemmensen The physiology of experimental overfeeding in animals Molecular Metabolism Experimental overfeeding Intragastric overfeeding Obesity Energy balance Animal models Leptin |
| title | The physiology of experimental overfeeding in animals |
| title_full | The physiology of experimental overfeeding in animals |
| title_fullStr | The physiology of experimental overfeeding in animals |
| title_full_unstemmed | The physiology of experimental overfeeding in animals |
| title_short | The physiology of experimental overfeeding in animals |
| title_sort | physiology of experimental overfeeding in animals |
| topic | Experimental overfeeding Intragastric overfeeding Obesity Energy balance Animal models Leptin |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212877822001429 |
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