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Review
. 2016 Dec 5;6(4):44.
doi: 10.3390/metabo6040044.

The Metabolic Implications of Glucocorticoids in a High-Fat Diet Setting and the Counter-Effects of Exercise

Emily C Dunford  1 , Michael C Riddell  2
Affiliations
Review

The Metabolic Implications of Glucocorticoids in a High-Fat Diet Setting and the Counter-Effects of Exercise

Emily C Dunford et al. Metabolites. .

Abstract

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are steroid hormones, naturally produced by activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, that mediate the immune and metabolic systems. Synthetic GCs are used to treat a number of inflammatory conditions and diseases including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Generally, chronic or high dose GC administration is associated with side effects such as steroid-induced skeletal muscle loss, visceral adiposity, and diabetes development. Patients who are taking exogenous GCs could also be more susceptible to poor food choices, but the effect that increasing fat consumption in combination with elevated exogenous GCs has only recently been investigated. Overall, these studies show that the damaging metabolic effects initiated through exogenous GC treatment are significantly amplified when combined with a high fat diet (HFD). Rodent studies of a HFD and elevated GCs demonstrate more glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, visceral adiposity, and skeletal muscle lipid deposition when compared to rodents subjected to either treatment on its own. Exercise has recently been shown to be a viable therapeutic option for GC-treated, high-fat fed rodents, with the potential mechanisms still being examined. Clinically, these mechanistic studies underscore the importance of a low fat diet and increased physical activity levels when individuals are given a course of GC treatment.

Keywords: adipose; exercise; glucocorticoids; high-fat diet; liver; metabolism; skeletal muscle.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Pathophysiology of diabetes development. The development of overt diabetes occurs through a number of mechanisms, all of which work together to affect elevations in blood glucose, ultimately causing hyperglycemia. Glucocorticoids (GC), free fatty acids (FFA), diacylglycerol (DAG).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Micro-computed tomography shows that corticosterone and a high-fat diet caused increased abdominal fat. (A) A representation of abdominal fat from a representative rat from each group is shown; (B) A whole rat radiography with the ROI (region of interest) used. Standard diet (SD), high-fat diet (HFD), corticosterone (Cort).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Counter-effects of exercise on metabolic impairments caused by elevated glucocorticoids and high-fat diet. Physical activity (treadmill running or voluntary wheel running) is capable of improving some of the metabolic effects caused by elevated glucocorticoids (GCs) and a high-fat diet (HFD), specifically within the pancreas, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, and liver. The skeletal muscle is currently the most researched, and the majority of the benefits of exercise revolve around improvements in insulin signaling. Elevations in GCs combined with HFD cause significant metabolic effects, and further examination of exercise on the pancreas, adipose tissue, and liver is required.
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