High carbohydrate diet and starvation regulate lipogenic mRNA in rats in a tissue-specific manner

We have previously shown that the effects of a high carbohydrate, fat-free diet and 24-h starvation on fatty acid synthesis in rats are tissue specific. In the present study we examined the tissue-specific pretranslational effects of high carbohydrate feeding, starvation and refeeding a high carbohydrate diet after starvation on the lipogenic pathway by measuring the levels of mRNA encoding acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) using Northern analysis. Additionally, we measured mRNA S14, a sequence tightly associated with lipogenesis. In rats fed the high carbohydrate diet, hepatic levels of the three mRNA were 3-5 fold higher than in controls. The level of S14 mRNA was doubled in epididymal fat, but other effects of this diet in adipose tissues were not significant. Expression in kidney, heart, lung and brain was not altered. Starvation significantly reduced the level of these mRNA in all tissues examined except brain. In liver, refeeding the high carbohydrate diet induced the expression of ACC, FAS and S14 mRNA 20-30 fold compared with the values found in 48-h starved animals. Hyperinduction of ACC and FAS, but not S14 mRNA expression was also observed in adipose tissues. The tissue-specific nature of these effects is consistent with previous measurements of fatty acid synthesis and confirm that this regulation occurs at the pretranslational level.