TY - JOUR

T1 - Low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets have sex-specific effects on bone health in rats

AU - Zengin, Ayse

AU - Kropp, Benedikt

AU - Chevalier, Yan

AU - Junnila, Riia

AU - Sustarsic, Elahu

AU - Herbach, Nadja

AU - Fanelli, Flaminia

AU - Mezzullo, Marco

AU - Milz, Stefan

AU - Bidlingmaier, Martin

AU - Bielohuby, Maximilian

PY - 2016/10

Y1 - 2016/10

N2 - PURPOSE: Studies in humans suggest that consumption of low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets (LC-HF) could be detrimental for growth and bone health. In young male rats, LC-HF diets negatively affect bone health by impairing the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor axis (GH/IGF axis), while the effects in female rats remain unknown. Therefore, we investigated whether sex-specific effects of LC-HF diets on bone health exist.METHODS: Twelve-week-old male and female Wistar rats were isoenergetically pair-fed either a control diet (CD), "Atkins-style" protein-matched diet (LC-HF-1), or ketogenic low-protein diet (LC-HF-2) for 4 weeks. In females, microcomputed tomography and histomorphometry analyses were performed on the distal femur. Sex hormones were analysed with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and endocrine parameters including GH and IGF-I were measured by immunoassay.RESULTS: Trabecular bone volume, serum IGF-I and the bone formation marker P1NP were lower in male rats fed both LC-HF diets versus CD. LC-HF diets did not impair bone health in female rats, with no change in trabecular or cortical bone volume nor in serum markers of bone turnover between CD versus both LC-HF diet groups. Pituitary GH secretion was lower in female rats fed LC-HF diet, with no difference in circulating IGF-I. Circulating sex hormone concentrations remained unchanged in male and female rats fed LC-HF diets.CONCLUSION: A 4-week consumption of LC-HF diets has sex-specific effects on bone health-with no effects in adult female rats yet negative effects in adult male rats. This response seems to be driven by a sex-specific effect of LC-HF diets on the GH/IGF system.

AB - PURPOSE: Studies in humans suggest that consumption of low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets (LC-HF) could be detrimental for growth and bone health. In young male rats, LC-HF diets negatively affect bone health by impairing the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor axis (GH/IGF axis), while the effects in female rats remain unknown. Therefore, we investigated whether sex-specific effects of LC-HF diets on bone health exist.METHODS: Twelve-week-old male and female Wistar rats were isoenergetically pair-fed either a control diet (CD), "Atkins-style" protein-matched diet (LC-HF-1), or ketogenic low-protein diet (LC-HF-2) for 4 weeks. In females, microcomputed tomography and histomorphometry analyses were performed on the distal femur. Sex hormones were analysed with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and endocrine parameters including GH and IGF-I were measured by immunoassay.RESULTS: Trabecular bone volume, serum IGF-I and the bone formation marker P1NP were lower in male rats fed both LC-HF diets versus CD. LC-HF diets did not impair bone health in female rats, with no change in trabecular or cortical bone volume nor in serum markers of bone turnover between CD versus both LC-HF diet groups. Pituitary GH secretion was lower in female rats fed LC-HF diet, with no difference in circulating IGF-I. Circulating sex hormone concentrations remained unchanged in male and female rats fed LC-HF diets.CONCLUSION: A 4-week consumption of LC-HF diets has sex-specific effects on bone health-with no effects in adult female rats yet negative effects in adult male rats. This response seems to be driven by a sex-specific effect of LC-HF diets on the GH/IGF system.

KW - Alanine Transaminase

KW - Animals

KW - Aspartate Aminotransferases

KW - Blood Glucose

KW - Bone and Bones

KW - Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted

KW - Diet, High-Fat

KW - Diet, Protein-Restricted

KW - Estradiol

KW - Female

KW - Gonadal Steroid Hormones

KW - Growth Hormone

KW - Insulin-Like Growth Factor I

KW - Leptin

KW - Lipids

KW - Male

KW - Osteogenesis

KW - Peptide Fragments

KW - Procollagen

KW - Rats

KW - Rats, Wistar

KW - Serum Albumin

KW - Sex Factors

KW - Journal Article

U2 - 10.1007/s00394-015-1040-9

DO - 10.1007/s00394-015-1040-9

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26386685

VL - 55

SP - 2307

EP - 2320

JO - European Journal of Nutrition

JF - European Journal of Nutrition

SN - 1436-6207

IS - 7

ER -