High sucrose consumption promotes obesity whereas its low consumption induces oxidative stress in Drosophila melanogaster

Rovenko, B. M., Kubrak, O. I., Gospodaryov, D. V., Perkhulyn, N. V., Yurkevych, I. S., Sanz, A., Lushchak, O. V. and Lushchak, V. I. (2015) High sucrose consumption promotes obesity whereas its low consumption induces oxidative stress in Drosophila melanogaster. Journal of Insect Physiology, 79, pp. 42-54. (doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.05.007) (PMID:26050918)

Abstract

The effects of sucrose in varied concentrations (0.25–20%) with constant amount of yeasts in larval diet on development and metabolic parameters of adult fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster were studied. Larvae consumed more food at low sucrose diet, overeating with yeast. On high sucrose diet, larvae ingested more carbohydrates, despite consuming less food and obtaining less protein derived from yeast. High sucrose diet slowed down pupation and increased pupa mortality, enhanced levels of lipids and glycogen, increased dry body mass, decreased water content, i.e. resulted in obese phenotype. Furthermore, it suppressed reactive oxygen species-induced oxidation of lipids and proteins as well as the activity of superoxide dismutase. The activity of catalase was gender-related. In males, at all sucrose concentrations used catalase activity was higher than at its concentration of 0.25%, whereas in females sucrose concentration virtually did not influence the activity. High sucrose diet increased content of protein thiols and the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. The increase in sucrose concentration also enhanced uric acid level in females, but caused opposite effects in males. Development on high sucrose diets was accompanied by elevated steady-state insulin-like peptide 3 mRNA level. Finally, carbohydrate starvation at yeast overfeeding on low sucrose diets resulted in oxidative stress reflected by higher levels of oxidized lipids and proteins accompanied by increased superoxide dismutase activity. Potential mechanisms involved in regulation of redox processes by carbohydrates are discussed.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The work was partially supported by the FEBS Collaborative Experimental Scholarship for Central and Eastern Europe to B.R. (#261793). A.S. was supported by an ERC Starting Grant (#260632) and by the Academy of Finland (#252048) as a Research Academy Fellow.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Sanz Montero, Professor Alberto
• Authors: Rovenko, B. M., Kubrak, O. I., Gospodaryov, D. V., Perkhulyn, N. V., Yurkevych, I. S., Sanz, A., Lushchak, O. V., and Lushchak, V. I.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Molecular Biosciences
• Journal Name: Journal of Insect Physiology
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0022-1910
• ISSN (Online): 1879-1611
• Published Online: 04 June 2015