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Plasma metabolomic response to postmenopausal weight loss induced by different diets

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Abstract

Background

Menopause is associated with increased abdominal fat and increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Objectives

The present study evaluated the plasma metabolic response in relation to insulin sensitivity after weight loss via diet intervention.

Methods

This work includes two studies; i) Ten women on a 5 weeks Paleolithic-type diet (PD, 30 energy percent (E%) protein, 40 E% fat, 30 E% carbohydrates), ii) 55 women on 6 months of either PD or Nordic Nutrition Recommendations diet (NNR, 15 E% protein, 30 E% fat, and 55 E% carbohydrates). Plasma metabolic profiles were acquired at baseline and post diet using gas chromatography time-of-flight/mass spectrometry and investigated in relation to insulin sensitivity using multivariate bioinformatics.

Results

Both the PD and NNR diet resulted in significant weight loss, reduced waist circumference, improved serum lipid profiles, and improved insulin sensitivity. We detected a baseline metabolic profile that correlated significantly with insulin sensitivity, and of which components increased significantly in the PD group compared to NNR. Specifically, a significant increase in myo-inositol (MI), a second messenger of insulin action, and β-hydroxybutyric acid (β-HB) increased while dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid (DGLA) decreased in PD compared to NNR, which correlated with improved insulin sensitivity. We also detected a significant decrease in tyrosine and tryptophan, potential markers of insulin resistance when elevated in the circulation, with the PD but not the NNR.

Conclusions

Using metabolomics, we detected changes in the plasma metabolite profiles associated with weight loss in postmenopausal women by different diets. The metabolic profiles following 6 months of PD were linked to beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity compared to NNR.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all of the women who participated in this study. Krister Lundgren and Inga-Britt Carlsson assisted during the GC-TOF/MS analysis, and Inger Arnesjö made important contributions during the dietary intervention studies. This work was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council (VR), the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research, the Swedish Strategic Research Foundation (SSF), Wallenberg Consortium North (WCN), the Kempe Foundation, the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, the Medical Faculty at Umeå University, and the Västerbotten County Council.

Financial support

This study was supported by grants from The Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (2006-0699 and 2010-0398), the Swedish Research Council (K2011-12237-15-6), the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, the Swedish Diabetes Foundation, King Gustaf V and Drottning Victorias Foundation, the County Council of Västerbotten, and Umeå University, Sweden.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

    Elin Chorell, Mats Ryberg, Susanne Sandberg, Caroline Mellberg, Bernt Lindahl & Tommy Olsson

  2. Department of Food and Nutrition and Sport Science, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Christel Larsson

  3. Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

    Henrik Antti

  4. Norrlands University Hospital, Umeå University, Bldg 6 M, SE-901 87, Umeå, Sweden

    Elin Chorell

  5. Computational Life Science Cluster (CLiC), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

    Elin Chorell & Henrik Antti

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  1. Elin Chorell
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Correspondence to Elin Chorell.

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Henrik Antti and Tommy Olsson have shared senior authorship.

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Chorell, E., Ryberg, M., Larsson, C. et al. Plasma metabolomic response to postmenopausal weight loss induced by different diets. Metabolomics 12, 85 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11306-016-1013-x

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