Beneficial Effects of an Alternating High- Fat Dietary Regimen on Systemic Insulin Resistance, Hepatic and Renal Inflammation and Renal Function

Background: An Alternating high-cholesterol dietary regimen has proven to be beneficial when compared to daily high-cholesterol feeding. In the current study we explored whether the same strategy is applicable to a high-fat dietary regimen.

Objective: To investigate whether an alternating high-fat dietary regimen can effectively diminish insulin resistance, hepatic and renal inflammation and renal dysfunction as compared to a continuous high-fat diet.

Design: Four groups of male ApoE*3Leiden mice (n = 15) were exposed to different diet regimens for 20 weeks as follows: Group 1: low-fat diet (10 kcal% fat); Group 2: intermediate-fat diet (25 kcal% fat); Group 3: high-fat diet (45 kcal% fat) and Group 4: alternating-fat diet (10 kcal% fat for 4 days and 45 kcal% fat for 3 days in a week).

Results: Compared to high fat diet feeding, the alternating and intermediate-fat diet groups had reduced body weight gain and did not develop insulin resistance or albuminuria. In addition, in the alternating and intermediate-fat diet groups, parameters of tissue inflammation were markedly reduced compared to high fat diet fed mice.

Conclusion: Both alternating and intermediate-fat feeding were beneficial in terms of reducing body weight gain, insulin resistance, hepatic and renal inflammation and renal dysfunction. Thus beneficial effects of alternating feeding regimens on cardiometabolic risk factors are not only applicable for cholesterol containing diets but can be extended to diets high in fat content.