Carbon Monoxide and Exercise Prevents Diet-Induced Obesity and Metabolic Dysregulation Without Affecting Bone.

OBJECTIVE: Carbon monoxide (CO) may counteract obesity and metabolic dysfunction in rodents consuming high-fat diets, but the skeletal effects are not understood. This study investigated whether low-dose inhaled CO (250 ppm) with or without moderate intensity aerobic exercise (3 h/wk) would limit diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysregulation and preserve bone health. METHODS: Obesity-resistant (OR) rats served as controls, and obesity-prone (OP) rats were randomized to sedentary, sedentary plus CO, exercise, or CO plus exercise. For 10 weeks, OP rats consumed a high-fat, high-sucrose diet, whereas OR rats consumed a low-fat control diet. Measurements included indicators of obesity and metabolism, bone turnover markers, femoral geometry and microarchitecture, bone mechanical properties, and tibial morphometry. RESULTS: A high-fat, high-sucrose diet led to obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperleptinemia, without impacting bone. CO alone led only to a modest reduction in weight gain. Exercise attenuated weight gain and improved the metabolic profile; however, bone fragility increased. Combined CO and exercise led to body mass reduction and a metabolic state similar to control OR rats and prevented the exercise-induced increase in bone fragility. CONCLUSIONS: CO and aerobic exercise training prevent obesity and metabolic sequelae of nutrient excess while stabilizing bone physiology.

Duke Scholars

Author Heath Gasier Anesthesiology

Author Claude Anthony Piantadosi Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine