(P31-036-23) Metabolic Effects of Diets Containing Ammoniated Beef on Hepatic Lipid Metabolism and Inflammation in Diet-Induced Obese Mice

Objectives: Diets rich in high-fat, salty processed foods and low in leafy greens or other alkaline foods, tend to have an acidic pH. Such diets may contribute to obesity and metabolic dysregulation, in part, through metabolic acidosis; however, underlying mechanisms are not fully known. Therefore, we hypothesized that metabolic health will be improved by consuming a diet containing pH enhanced beef (ammonium hydroxide), compared to non-pH enhanced beef.

Methods: Male & female C57Bl/6 mice were fed 4 diets for 12 weeks: Low Fat Beef (LFB), LFB + Ammonium (LFBN), High Fat Beef (HFB), HFB + Ammonium (HFBN). Body weights were measured throughout the study, and liver samples were collected at the end of the dietary interventions for further analyses.

Results: In males, body weights in the HFB and HFBN groups were increased compared to the LFBN group, but not the LFB group (p < 0.05). By contrast, there were no significant differences in body weights in females. In males, gene expression of the cellular energy sensor Ampk was reduced in HFB, compared to LFB groups (p < 0.05); while mRNA levels for the inflammatory marker Tlr4 were upregulated in the HFB group compared to LFB & LFBN (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in mRNA levels among markers we assessed that were related to the urea cycle, insulin signaling, or inflammation across dietary groups in males. In females, the ER stress marker Bip was significantly decreased in the LFBN group, compared to LFB (p < 0.05). In females, changes in expression of most metabolic genes measured were primarily related to effects of high fat feeding, rather than ammoniation.

Conclusions: In summary, our results indicate that dietary fat, rather than pH/beef ammoniation is a major regulator of hepatic cellular processes at the gene level, regardless of sex. Studies are ongoing to determine changes in above markers at the protein level to uncover potential posttranscriptional/translational regulations mediated by these diets. This research may help to understand effects of dietary pH, fat content, and proteins in diet-induced obesity and related NAFLD.

Funding Sources: Funded by Empirical Foods Inc.