Dietary Essential Fatty Acid Regulation of Omega-3 HUFA Metabolism; Satiety and Body Composition



Status:Completed
Conditions:Healthy Studies, Obesity Weight Loss
Therapuetic Areas:Endocrinology, Other
Healthy:No
Age Range:18 - 50
Updated:4/5/2019
Start Date:November 12, 2010
End Date:July 25, 2018

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Dietary Linoleic Acid Regulation of Omega-3HUFA Metabolism: Satiety and Body Composition Among Overweight Female Subjects

Background:

- Rates of obesity have increased dramatically in recent decades, and researchers are
investigating how changes in diets and physical activity have contributed to this increase.
To understand how weight might be controlled, it is important to learn what kinds of dietary
changes can affect hunger and might lower body weight. Essential fatty acids, for instance,
are an important part of a healthy diet, but researchers have not yet determined the ideal
amount of essential fatty acids that people should eat. By studying how different diets
affect body chemistry and hormone levels in women who are overweight or obese, researchers
hope to be able to determine better diets or treatments to help people reach and maintain an
optimum healthy weight.

Objectives:

- To examine how certain fats in the diet affect body metabolism, hormones, and weight
regulation.

Eligibility:

- Healthy women between 18 and 50 years of age who are overweight or obese (body mass index
between 25 and 35).

Design:

- This study has an initial screening visit and three phases. All participants will be
involved in the first two phases of the study, and some participants will be involved in
the third phase.

- Participants will be screened with a physical examination and medical history, in
addition to blood and urine tests and questionnaires about eating habits and other diet
factors.

- Phase 1: Participants will have three visits to the National Institutes of Health over a
4-week period. At the visits, participants will have blood and urine tests, complete
questionnaires, and have other tests including brain and body imaging studies.
Participants will then be assigned to one of three study diets.

- Phase 2: Participants will have a 12-week diet phase, with all foods supplied by the
study researchers. Participants will keep a daily log of food and beverage intake, and
will have three testing sessions with procedures similar to those performed in Phase 1.

- Phase 3: Participants assigned to a particular study diet (one-third of all
participants) will be given the option of continuing the diet for an additional 36 weeks
(9 months), with food consumption, monitoring, and testing procedures similar to those
performed in Phase 2.

Objective

To evaluate the effects of lowering the dietary nutrient linoleic acid (LA) as a controlled
variable on: 1) tissue accretion of omega-6 and omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids
(HUFA); 2) bioactive endocannabinoids derived from the omega-6 HUFA arachidonic acid (AA); 3)
insulin sensitivity; 4) satiety and hunger; and 5) body composition. Modifications in dietary
LA will be offset with reciprocal changes in the nutrient oleic acid (OA) to maintain
equivalency of calories and nutrients.

Study Population

Up to 180 overweight, but otherwise healthy pre-menopausal women volunteers (aged 18 through
50) with body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 35 kg/m(2), will be enrolled.

With the anticipated dropout rates described in Section 7.4, we anticipate that 84 of these
subjects will be randomized to study diets, and 64 subjects will complete the 12 week diet
phase.

Three Group Comparative Analysis

A total of 84 subjects will be randomized to one of 3 healthy and nutritionally complete
diets that differ only in the fatty acid composition of added visible oils. All foods will be
provided through the NIH metabolic kitchen, with subjects visiting the kitchen daily Monday
through Friday to obtain foods. Each Friday, subjects will carry home foods packed for their
weekend meals. Baseline testing battery will include: 1) blood composition of omega-6 and
omega-3 HUFA; 2) endocannabinoid, eicosanoid, and docosanoid derivatives of omega-6 and
omega-3 HUFA; 3) insulin function assessment; 4) body composition assessment; 4) functional
satiety assessment; and 5) self-reported measures of satiety, hunger and affective states.
The full baseline testing battery will be repeated after 84 days of randomized treatment. An
abbreviated testing battery will be performed after 28 and 56 days of randomized treatment.

A subset of participants will undergo additional inpatient testing in the 24-hour metabolic
chamber as described in Section 3.3.2. The remaining subjects will remain ambulatory
throughout the study. Participants will be advised to continue their usual medical care and
medications throughout the study.

24-Hour Metabolic Suite Study

A subset of 8 participants in each of the 3 groups will undergo the usual testing battery and
additional metabolic testing in the metabolic suite at 0, 28, and 84 days. The additional
testing will include pre- and post-prandial endocrine hormone assessment.

36-Week Continuation (Gradient Dose Replacement) Sub Study

At completion of the 84 day (12 week) study, participants in the low LA group (Group B) will
have the option of continuing their study diets for another 252 days (36 weeks). Continuing
subjects will consume be randomized to either: 1) the same low LA (1 en%) diet.; or 2) the
same baseline diet with a graded dose escalation of LA, with the addition of 1 en% of LA
every 6 weeks. In this manner, LA will increase incrementally from 1 en% to 8 en% over the 36
week period. During the continuation phase, the abbreviated testing battery will be completed
after 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 weeks, and the full testing battery will be repeated after 36
weeks.

Outcome Measures

A Primary Dependent Variables

The primary outcomes will be the proportion of omega-6 HUFA in total HUFA (%omega-6 in HUFA)
and two endocannabinoids derived from omega-6 AA, 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and
N-Arachidonoylethanolamine (Anandamide or AEA).

Secondary Dependent Variables

Secondary outcome measures will include blood concentrations of the omega-6 HUFA Arachidonic
Acid (AA); the omega-3 HUFA Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA); the
rates of change in %omega-6 in HUFA, AA, EPA, DHA, 2-AG and AEA over time; adipose and muscle
tissue fatty acid composition; endocrine hormones; gene expression profiles; psychometrics;
functional satiety; 24-hr energy metabolism and substrate utilization; and body composition,
as follows: Omega-6 and omega-3 HUFA and total fat content will be measured in adipose and
muscle tissue biopsies. Other endocannabinoid, eicosanoid and docosanoid derivatives of
omega-6 and omega-3 HUFA will be measured in plasma via mass spectrometry. Endocrine hormones
will be measured in fasting and postprandial states in the 24-hour metabolic suite.

Psychometric outcomes will include self-reported measures of satiety and affective states.
Functional satiety will be assessed via buffet-style food array testing. Body composition
outcomes will include DEXA, 3T MRI, anthropometric measurements and bioelectrical impedance.
Genotyping will also be performed to assess for interactions between selected gene variants
and effects of the intervention.

- INCLUSION CRITERIA:

Subjects will be overweight, but otherwise healthy, pre-menopausal ambulatory volunteers
aged 18 to 50.

To be eligible for this research study, participants must:

- Be between 18 and 50 years of age.

- Have regular menstrual cycles.

- Be willing to use an effective method of birth control such as hormonal contraception,
intrauterine device, barrier methods combined with spermicide, or surgical
sterilization.

- Have a body mass index of 25 to 35 kg/m(2).

- Be otherwise healthy as determined by history, medical examination and laboratory
tests.

- Be able to come to the NIH Clinical Center every weekday for 3 months.

- Be able to understand the consent form, and provide informed written consent.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Participants are not eligible for this research study if they:

- Have been pregnant or have breast fed within the last 2 years.

- Work, or have an immediate family member who works, with a study investigator.
Immediate family is defined as a spouse, parent, child or sibling, whether biological
or legally adopted.

- Are HIV positive.

- Have any current, unstable medical conditions including respiratory insufficiency
requiring oxygen therapy; cardiac ischemia; cardiac or hepatic failure; or acute
neurological illness as assessed by history and physical exam.

- Have evidence of diseases that may influence metabolism (e.g. overt diabetes mellitus,
thyroid disease, cancer)

- Have any current or past history of eating disorders such as binge eating or anorexia
nervosa.

- Have had weight loss (bariatric) surgery.

- Have gained or lost more than 3% of your current weight in the past 3 months.

- Exercise strenuously, like running, swimming, or basketball, 4 or more times per week.

- Are planning to begin a strenuous exercise program in the next 4 months.

- Take supplements that contain omega-6 or omega-3 fatty acids (e.g. fish, cod liver,
borage, evening primrose oils)

- Have significant dietary limitations (e.g. multiple food allergies/intolerances, vegan
diet) or special dietary requirements that are difficult to accommodate with study
diets

- Have significant claustrophobia that would preclude study tests.

- Have a history of alcohol or substance abuse or dependence in the past 5 years.

- Drink more than 2 alcoholic beverages per day, on average, or 6 drinks per sitting in
the past year. Participants may drink up to one alcoholic beverage per day during the
study.

- Used marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, or heroin even once over the last year.
Participants may not use marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, or heroin during the study.

- Have smoked 2 or more cigarettes per week, on average, over the past year.

- Participants may not use tobacco products during the study.

- Eat fish 3 or more times per week on average.

- Have a known bleeding disorder.

- Take medications or supplements that may interfere with this study by altering energy
metabolism, nutrient absorption, or food intake. Regular use of the following
compounds warrants exclusion: medications for the management of diabetes (Type 1 or
2), typical and atypical antipsychotics, thyroid medications, glucocorticoids,
orlistat, decongestants, anti-histamines, and medications for cardiac conditions (e.g
beta blockers), attention disorders (e.g. amphetamine derivatives), blood lipid
disorders (e.g. statins, fibrates), and hypertension (e.g. thiazide diuretics), as
well as certain anti-depressants (e.g. tricyclics), and supplements that impact energy
metabolism, such as ephedrine.

- Regularly take an anticoagulant medication, such as warfarin or aspirin.

- Have a pacemaker, brain stimulator, or other implanted electrical device, permanent
eyeliner, metallic prosthesis (including metal pins and rods, heart valves, and
cochlear implants) that would preclude MRI scans.

- Are currently participating in any other clinical research studies that include blood
draws or other procedures.

- Have a serum FSH level greater than 20 units per liter
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