(P10-067-20) Effect of Lifelong Added Sugars Consumption at Human Relevent Levels on Food Intake and Body Composition of C57BL6 Mice

Objectives: This study aimed to test the hypothesis that lifelong ad libitum consumption of a high sucrose (25% kcal, HS) diet induces overeating, increased adiposity, and impaired metabolic health compared to a low sucrose (10% kcal, LS) diet.

Methods: Twenty male C57BL6 mice were randomized into 2 treatment groups (LS or HS diet throughout life, n = 10 each) at 3 weeks of age and continued until natural death or 104 weeks old, whichever was earlier. Body weight, food intake, and water intake were measured weekly. Body composition (fat and lean mass) was determined every 4 weeks using a nuclear magnetic resonance-based body composition analyzer. Fasting blood glucose was assessed every 4 weeks using a glucometer.  Difference between groups was assessed by two-sample t-test assuming unequal variances, and p < 0.05 was set to indicate statistical significance.

Results: When comparing the HS and LS groups, there were no significant differences of mean ± SEM body weight (early childhood (EC) (3-6 weeks): 18.7 ± 2.7 vs. 17.8 ± 2.3 g; Childhood to adolescence (CA; 6-12 weeks): 30.9 ± 1.4 vs. 30.8 ± 1.4 g; Early adulthood (EA; 12-72 weeks): 47.8 ± 0.7 vs. 48.6 ± 0.8 g; Late adulthood (LA; 72-104 weeks): 52.1 ± 0.5 vs. 51.8 ± 0.7 g), body fat (CA: 19.4 ± 2.6 vs. 17.7 ± 2.3 %; EA: 33.0 ± 0.6 vs. 33.3 ± 0.8 %; LA: 32.1 ± 1.0 vs. 32.9 ± 0.8%), lean body mass (CA: 60.2 ± 3.3 vs. 57.4 ± 2.9 %; EA: 46.7 ± 0.9 vs.46.0 ± 1.0 %; LA: 52.8 ± 0.7 vs. 50.9 ± 0.8 %), and food intake (all p > 0.05). When expressed as cumulative change from baseline (week 4), there was no difference between group for those variables in LA, except mean percentage change in water intake (p = 0.03). There was no difference in mean cumulative energy intake throughout LA (39.37 ± 2.73 vs. 42.21 ± 1.13 MJ) and fasting blood glucose level at the end of LA (6.4 ± 0.2 vs. 7.0 ± 0.3), both p > 0.05.

Conclusions: This study found no significant effect of chronic high sucrose diet on inducing overeating, obesity and impaired glucose metabolism compared with low sucrose diet.. Our findings challenge the mainstream belief that high sugar diet promotes obesity, which warrants future research.

Funding Sources: This project was supported by HKU Seed Funding for Basic Research.