Mechanism of food additive [monosodium glutamate]- induced obesity a molecular study

ABSTRACT

There is no question that there is an obesity epidemic in our country, as well as in some other countries. Obesity during pregnancy increases maternal and fetal morbidity and is a risk factor for gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. There are many causes of obesity from them the bad use of food additives, the monosodium glutamate is considered one of the most popular food additives. The results of previous studies on the role of monosodium glutamate in developing of obesity are controversial so the aim of this paper is to determine the role of MSG in developing obesity through studying its effect on Ob gene expression and leptin receptor-b gene expression and to determine its effect on some cardiac disease indicators as apo-A[1] and apo-B. We used in this study 60 pregnant female rats which were divided into 2 groups, control group and group supplemented with monosodium glutamate. In all rats, determination of biochemical parameters as serum glucose, insulin, leptin, total lipids, cholesterol HDL, LDL, VLDL, apo A1, apo B, as well as determination of Ob and leptin receptor-b gene expression were done. Our results indicated that the administration of monosodium glutamate is accompanied with increase of Ob gene expression, leptin, insulin, lipoprotein B, lipogram, glucose and decrease of brain leptin receptor-b gene expression, lipoprotein lipase activity and HDL concentrations. It can be concluded that the administration of MSG may be considered as one of the main causes of obesity by increasing of leptin and insulin resistance and so developing of hyperphagia. Also it is accompanied by increasing the risk of atherosclerosis through development of diabetes mellitus type II and increasing total cholesterol and LDL. Moreover, maternal obesity is a serious condition that significantly impacts health of mothers and their children