FGF21 maybe have a Protective Role against Obesity in Cases of High-fat Diets, in Adult Mice, Malnourished during Their Embryonic Life

Aims: To investigate if there is a possible protective role of FGF21 in malnourished adult mice which have been exposed to stress during their intrauterine life.

Place and Duration of Study: University of Patras, Department of Medicine, between September 2015 and August 2016.

Methodology: Five wild type and 5 FGF21 knockout mice, which have been subjected 50% caloric limitation during their embryonic life, were fed with high fat diet. As control 3 other sets of mice groups were used. One set was composed of 5 WT and 5 FGF21 KO mice, which had a normal embryonic life and fed with high fat diet, another set of 4 wild type and 4 knockout mice, with normal intrauterine life, were fed with chow diet, and another set of 4 wild type and 4 knockout mice which had subjected caloric limitation during their embryonic life, also fed with chow diet. All mice were male, 6-weeks old, when the diet (chow or high fat) was started and lasted for 12 weeks. Every week the mice were weighted, and the means of the weights and the weight gaining rates were calculated for each mice group.

Results: Although none of the differences was significant, the weight gaining rates of the high fat fed mice that had subjected 50% caloric limitation during their embryonic life presented higher than and the mice which had normal embryonic life. Furthermore, knockout mice appeared to have higher weight gaining rates than the wild type. The mice which received chow diet for the same period of their lives (6-18 week) appeared very tiny weight gaining rates and no differences appeared.

Conclusion: FGF21 maybe plays a protective role against excessive weight gain in adult mice, in cases of high-fat diets, especially in mice malnourished during their embryonic life.