Chronic social stress lessens the metabolic effects induced by a high-fat diet

in Journal of Endocrinology
Authors:
Tanja Jene Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Translational Psychiatry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany

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Inigo Ruiz de Azua Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany

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Annika Hasch Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Translational Psychiatry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany

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Jennifer Klüpfel Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Translational Psychiatry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany

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Julia Deuster Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany

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Mirjam Maas Department for Developmental Origins of Disease, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands

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Cora H Nijboer Department for Developmental Origins of Disease, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands

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Beat Lutz Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany

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Marianne B Müller Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Translational Psychiatry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany

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Michael A van der Kooij Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Translational Psychiatry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany

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https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7415-1379

Correspondence should be addressed to M A van der Kooij: m.vanderkooij@uni-mainz.de
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/JOE-20-0633
Volume/Issue:
Volume 249: Issue 1
Article Type:
Research Article
Page Range:
19–30
Online Publication Date:
Apr 2021
Copyright:
© 2021 Society for Endocrinology 2021
Restricted access
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Stress has a major impact on the modulation of metabolism, as previously evidenced by hyperglycemia following chronic social defeat (CSD) stress in mice. Although CSD-triggered metabolic dysregulation might predispose to pre-diabetic conditions, insulin sensitivity remained intact, and obesity did not develop, when animals were fed with a standard diet (SD). Here, we investigated whether a nutritional challenge, a high-fat diet (HFD), aggravates the metabolic phenotype and whether there are particularly sensitive time windows for the negative consequences of HFD exposure. Chronically stressed male mice and controls (CTRL) were kept under (i) SD-conditions, (ii) with HFD commencing post-CSD, or (iii) provided with HFD lasting throughout and after CSD. Under SD conditions, stress increased glucose levels early post-CSD. Both HFD regimens increased glucose levels in non-stressed mice but not in stressed mice. Nonetheless, when HFD was provided after CSD, stressed mice did not differ from controls in long-term body weight gain, fat tissue mass and plasma insulin, and leptin levels. In contrast, when HFD was continuously available, stressed mice displayed reduced body weight gain, lowered plasma levels of insulin and leptin, and reduced white adipose tissue weights as compared to their HFD-treated non-stressed controls. Interestingly, stress-induced adrenal hyperplasia and hypercortisolemia were observed in mice treated with SD and with HFD after CSD but not in stressed mice exposed to a continuous HFD treatment. The present work demonstrates that CSD can reduce HFD-induced metabolic dysregulation. Hence, HFD during stress may act beneficially, as comfort food, by decreasing stress-induced metabolic demands.

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Print ISSN:
0022-0795
Online ISSN:
1479-6805
Copyright:
© 2021 Society for Endocrinology 2021
Page(s):
12
Article Type:
Research Article
Received Date:
01 Jan 2021
Accepted Date:
12 Feb 2021
Print Publication Date:
01 Apr 2021
Online Publication Date:
Apr 2021
Keywords:
high fat diet; metabolism; adipose tissue; glucose; stress

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