TY - JOUR
T1 - Serotonin Transporter Deficiency Increases Abdominal Fat in Female, but Not Male Rats
AU - Homberg, J.R.
AU - la Fleur, S.E.
AU - Cuppen, E.
N1 - Reporting year: 2009
Metis note: oby2009139
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Depression and abdominal obesity often co-occur, predominantly in women, and are associated with an increased risk for the development of glucose intolerance and subsequently type 2 diabetes. The underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We found that female, but not male, depression-prone serotonin transporter knockout (SERT(-/-)) rats had a strong increase (54%) in abdominal fat, whereas no increases in plasma concentrations of glucose and insulin were observed. Surprisingly, application of a high-fat, high-sucrose (HFHS)-choice diet, which results in increased abdominal fat deposition and increased plasma glucose levels in wild-type rats, did not result in elevated plasma glucose levels in female SERT(-/-) rats. Our results show that serotonin transporter deficiency affects abdominal fat deposition in a sex-dependent way, but protects against rises in glucose levels, and thereby potentially glucose intolerance. The increased abdominal fat formation could result from serotonin-mediated developmental changes and provides heuristic value for understanding the effects of the depression-associated serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism in humans.Obesity (2009) doi:10.1038/oby.2009.139.
AB - Depression and abdominal obesity often co-occur, predominantly in women, and are associated with an increased risk for the development of glucose intolerance and subsequently type 2 diabetes. The underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We found that female, but not male, depression-prone serotonin transporter knockout (SERT(-/-)) rats had a strong increase (54%) in abdominal fat, whereas no increases in plasma concentrations of glucose and insulin were observed. Surprisingly, application of a high-fat, high-sucrose (HFHS)-choice diet, which results in increased abdominal fat deposition and increased plasma glucose levels in wild-type rats, did not result in elevated plasma glucose levels in female SERT(-/-) rats. Our results show that serotonin transporter deficiency affects abdominal fat deposition in a sex-dependent way, but protects against rises in glucose levels, and thereby potentially glucose intolerance. The increased abdominal fat formation could result from serotonin-mediated developmental changes and provides heuristic value for understanding the effects of the depression-associated serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism in humans.Obesity (2009) doi:10.1038/oby.2009.139.
U2 - 10.1038/oby.2009.139
DO - 10.1038/oby.2009.139
M3 - Article
SN - 1930-7381
JO - Obesity
JF - Obesity
ER -