Distinct metabolic effects following short-term exposure of different high-fat diets in male and female mice.

Obesity-associated hepatic lipid accumulation and chronic low-grade inflammation lead to metabolic defects. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) are a risk factor for, whereas unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) are thought to be protective against, developing metabolic diseases. Sex differences exist in the regulation of metabolism. We tested the hypothesis that diets high in SFA, mono-UFA (MUFA), or poly-UFA (PUFA) had early, sex-distinct effects that differentially contribute to long-term metabolic disturbance such as fatty liver and insulin resistance. Metabolic changes including body and fat mass, circulating leptin and glucose levels, plasma lipid profile, hepatic lipid accumulation, expression levels of genes related to lipid metabolism and low-grade inflammation, and tissue insulin sensitivity were compared between male and female mice fed with a low-fat chow, or high-fat SFA, MUFA, or PUFA for a short period of four days. SFA and MUFA males increased adiposity associated with increased liver lipid accumulation and rapid activation of inflammation in adipose and muscle tissues, whereas PUFA males did not show lipid accumulation or tissue inflammation compared to chow males. All SFA and UFA males displayed tissue insulin resistance. In contrast, female high-fat diet groups had normal liver lipid content and maintained tissue insulin sensitivity without showing tissue inflammation. Therefore, sex differences existed during early phase of development of metabolic dysfunction. The beneficial effects of PUFA, but not MUFA, were corroborated in protection of obesity, hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, and low-grade inflammation. The benefit of MUFA and PUFA in maintaining tissue insulin sensitivity in males, however, was questioned.