EFFECTS OF SUGAR SOLUTIONS ON HYPOTHALAMIC APPETITE REGULATION

Abstract

There are multiple hypotheses for the causes of the obesity epidemic. One such hypothesis is that dietary intake patterns have significantly shifted to include unprecedented amounts of refined sugar. We set out to determine some the unique metabolic changes that occur with initial exposure to dilute glucose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, or fructose solutions. Rats were given access to food, water and a sugar solution for 24 h, after which blood and tissues were collected. Fructose access (as opposed to other sugars investigated) resulted in a doubling of circulating triglycerides. Glucose consumption resulted in upregulation of 7 satiety related hypothalamic peptides whereas changes in gene expression were mixed for remaining sugars. Also, following multiple verification assays, 6 satiety related peptides were verified as being affected by sugar intake. These data provide evidence that not all sugars are equally effective in affecting the control of intake.