Capsaicin supplementation prevents western diet-induced hyperleptinemia by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress implicated in leptin resistance in the diet-induced obesity, which can accelerate the development of atherosclerosis forms the background of this study.

Capsaicin, therefore, may have potential as a therapeutic agent for individuals with diet-induced hyperleptinemia.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of capsaicin on hyperleptinema by inhibiting ER stress in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice fed a western diet (WD). Design: ApoE -/- mice were assigned one of three experimental diets: WD (60% kcal from fat, n = 10), WD + 0.015% capsaicin (n = 10, w/w), and WD + 1% PBA (n = 10, w/w) for 12 weeks.

In metabolic parameters, supplementation of dietary capsaicin displayed marked reduction of body weight gain and adipose tissue weight, plasma leptin, total cholesterol, and hepatic triglyceride levels without change in the plasma insulin level compared with WD fed ApoE-/- mice after 12 weeks. Capsaicin supplementation also attenuated the protein expression of ER stress markers such as eukaryotic translational initiation factor 2α and C/EBP homology protein in the liver, as well as glucose-related protein 78 localization in the aorta, indicating that capsaicin inhibits diet-induced hyperleptinemia in part by regulating the protein expression involved in ER stress.