Effects of thiol antioxidant β-mercaptoethanol on diet-induced obese mice

• Published in: Life sciences (1973) Vol. 107; no. 1-2; pp. 32 - 41
• Main Authors: Wong, Siu, Kirkland, James L., Schwanz, Heidi A., Simmons, Amber L., Hamilton, James A., Corkey, Barbara E., Guo, Wen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 27.06.2014
• Subjects: abdominal fat; Adipokines - blood; Adipose Tissue - drug effects; Adipose Tissue - metabolism; animal disease models; Animals; antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; beta-mercaptoethanol; biochemical pathways; blood lipids; Body Composition - drug effects; C-reactive protein; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Diet, High-Fat; Diet-induced obesity; Dietary Supplements; drinking water; Gripping strength; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammation - chemically induced; Inflammation - drug therapy; insulin; Insulin - metabolism; Insulin Resistance; Lipid Peroxidation; liver; Liver - drug effects; locomotion; Locomotion - drug effects; Male; Mercaptoethanol - pharmacology; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Obese; Muscle, Skeletal - drug effects; muscles; obesity; Obesity - drug therapy; Obesity - metabolism; Oxidant stress; oxidants; pyruvic acid; Pyruvic Acid - metabolism; Respiration; Respiration - drug effects; Spontaneous locomotion; therapeutics; Thiol antioxidant; thiols; Gripping strength; Diet-induced obesity; Thiol antioxidant; Insulin resistance; Spontaneous locomotion; Inflammation; β-Mercaptoethanol (PubChem CID: 1567); Respiration; Oxidant stress
• ISSN: 0024-3205; 1879-0631; 1879-0631
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2014.04.031

Obesity and insulin resistance are associated with increased oxidant stress. However, treatments of obese subjects with different types of antioxidants often give mixed outcomes. In this work, we sought to determine if long-term supplementation of a thiol antioxidant, β-mercaptoethanol, to diet-induced obese mice may improve their health conditions. Middle-age mice with pre-existing diet-induced obesity were provided with low concentration β-mercaptoethanol (BME) in drinking water for six months. Animals were assessed for body composition, gripping strength, spontaneous physical and metabolic activities, as well as insulin and pyruvate tolerance tests. Markers of inflammation were assessed in plasma, fat tissue, and liver. BME-treated mice gained less fat mass and more lean mass than the control animals. They also showed increased nocturnal locomotion and respiration, as well as greater gripping strength. BME reduced plasma lipid peroxidation, decreased abdominal fat tissue inflammation, reduced fat infiltration into muscle and liver, and reduced liver and plasma C-reactive protein. However, BME was found to desensitize insulin signaling in vivo, an effect also confirmed by in vitro experiments. Long-term supplementation of low dose thiol antioxidant BME improved functional outcomes in animals with pre-existing obesity. Additional studies are needed to address the treatment impact on insulin sensitivity if a therapeutic value is to be explored.