Lard-Blended Vegetable Oil Diet Alleviates Metabolic Syndrome in Mice

Abstract Background: Our previous work has suggested that the balance fatty acid diet, blending lard with soybean oil, could reduce adipose tissue accumulation by decreasing adipogenesis and lipogenesis while increasing the hydrolysis of triglycerides. The aim of present study is to investigate whether the fat reducing function of balanced fatty acid diet extended to sunflower oil, and explore its effects on liver lipids metabolism and insulin resistance.Methods: 50 mice were divided into 5 groups, fed with lard, sunflower oil, soybean oil, mixture of lard and sunflower oil, and mixture of lard and soybean oil for 12 weeks separately.Results: Results showed that a mixture of lard and vegetable oil (sunflower oil and soybean oil), particularly a mixture of lard and soybean oil decreased body weight, body fat rate, liver triglyceride level compared to lard, sunflower oil, and soybean oil, a mixed oil also decreased serum triglyceride and free fatty acid levels compared to lard diet. Further analysis indicated that activation of the AMPK pathway contributes to these observed phenotypes, and co-upregulated of glucagon and GLP-1 in mice fed with mixture of lard and soybean oil may contribute to improved lipids metabolism. Conclusion: Moderate lard intake—blended lard with vegetable oil especially soybean oil—has the potential to alleviate metabolic syndrome via activating AMPK pathway and co-upregulated of glucagon and GLP-1.