Effect of Glycine on Adipocyte Hypertrophy in a Metabolic Syndrome Rat Model

Glycine (Gly) lowers hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hypertension but its role in preventing adipocyte hypertrophy and modulating enzymatic activity of adipocytes has not been studied. Here we evaluate the effect of 1% Gly in the diet on adipocyte hypertrophy and the modulation of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) in a metabolic syndrome (MS) rat model with intra-abdominal obesity. 32 Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups: control (C), MS, MS plus Gly (MS+Gly), and MS+Gly plus strychnine (MS+Gly+S). MS was induced by administering 30% sucrose in the drinking water for 16 weeks. In the MS+Gly and MS+Gly+S groups, the sucrose solution plus 1% Gly and 1 % Gly plus strychnine 10 μM were given during the last 4 weeks of the sucrose treatment. After 16 weeks of treatment, rats were sacrificed and the adipose tissue dissected. Gly in MS rats decreased body weight, intra-abdominal adipose tissue, adipocyte hypertrophy, blood pressure, triglycerides, insulin, HOMA-IR index, leptin, total fatty acids, non-esterified fatty acids and LPL activity. It increased fatty acids of the phospholipids, perilipin A expression and it decreased HSL expression, without changing LPL expression. The Gly receptor subunit-β was identified in adipocytes. In conclusion, Gly treatment regulates the activity of enzymes involved in the lipid metabolism of the adipocytes through the Gly receptor and it decreases the effects of the high sucrose diet.