Flaxseed flour diet during lactation until 180 days results in an increase in body adiposity in adult male rats

Abstract

This study evaluated the influence of flaxseed flour intake on body adiposity in Wistar male rats at 180 days. At birth, we randomly assigned male Wistar rats to control (C) and experimental (FF) groups treated with a control or flaxseed flour diet until 180 days. We evaluated food and energy intake, body mass and length during 21–180 day period. We also evaluated oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), lean and fat mass by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, serum glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR and leptin, intra-abdominal fat mass and retroperitoneal adipocyte area. Groups showed similar food, energy intake, body length, insulin, total lean mass and adipocyte area. FF group showed the following (P < .05): lower concentrations of glucose in OGTT and serum glucose (−15%), leptin (−56%), higher body mass, total (+38%), trunk (+35%), intra-abdominal (+52%), mesenteric (+36%) and retroperitoneal (+42%) fat mass. At 180 days, flaxseed flour was associated with high body adiposity.

Keywords

• Rat
• Flaxseed
• Adiposity
• Insulin
• Leptin