Pantothenic acid plays an important role in reducing body weight

Background

Obesity is characterized by excessive fat accumulation. Strategies to effectively curb the prevalence of obesity have always garnered significant attention. If reducing fat can be achieved by altering the content of certain nutrients in the diet, it would not only be simple and convenient but also alleviate the economic burden.

Methods

Four-week-old ICR mice were divided into two groups: a Normal diet group and a High-fat diet group. The weight changes of the mice were observed. Feces from obese mice were collected, and blood cultures and MacConkey medium were used to observe and isolate bacterial changes. Bacteria were preliminarily identified using Gram staining, mass spectrometry, and biochemical culture. Differential bacteria were administered by gavage, and changes in mouse weight and abdominal fat were observed. Whole genome sequencing was employed to further identify the types of bacteria. The relationship between triglycerides and total cholesterol in the Body Mass Index of different genders was retrospectively analyzed. Feces were collected, and the number of Escherichia coli with different Body Mass Indices was detected using PCR. Metabolomics was utilized to identify differential metabolites in bacterial culture supernatants. The effects of pantothenic acid on the weight and abdominal fat of BALB/c mice of different genders on a normal diet and a high-fat diet were observed. Transcriptomics was used to identify differential genes in mouse liver and analyze their association with immune cells. Macrophages were eliminated to observe the effect of a high-fat diet on adipogenesis. The Lip-MC method was used to screen proteins in the liver that may bind to pantothenic acid, and these were cross-linked with the upregulated genes of RAW264.7 after pantothenic acid administration. The molecular docking method was used to analyze the binding of pantothenic acid and orlistat to the target protein.

Results

Obesity can lead to changes in the diversity of intestinal flora. Certain bacteria in the intestine can reduce fat formation, and the most likely candidate identified is Escherichia coli. The population of Escherichia coli in obese individuals significantly increases. Triglycerides and total cholesterol levels rise significantly when the Body Mass Index (BMI) is ≥ 24, with no gender difference observed. Escherichia coli can produce a significant amount of pantothenic acid, which can markedly decrease abdominal fat formation. Liver macrophages play a crucial role in abdominal fat formation. Pm20d1 in macrophages may interact with pantothenic acid to influence liver fat metabolism (see flow chart).

Conclusions

Consumption of pantothenic acid can lead to a substantial decrease in body weight among female mice that have been on a high-fat diet. Concurrently, it also notably lowers the body fat percentage in both male and female mice subjected to a high-fat diet, a process that might be associated with triglycerides. The role of liver macrophages is significant in this context.