Decrease of food intake in rats after ingestion of medium-chain triacylglycerol.

Previous studies have demonstrated that fatty acid oxidation in the liver may affect food intake. This study examined the influence of preloading of medium-chain triacylglycerol (MCT) on food intake in comparison with long-chain triacylglycerol (LCT). Male rats were fasted for 18 h and then administered LCT or MCT emulsion orally. Each group of rats was allowed to rest for 30 min, and then food intake during 1 h was measured. Food intake in the MCT group was significantly lower than that in the LCT group. To examine the influence of hepatic oxidation, the MCT+MA group was injected intraperitoneally with mercaptoacetate (MA), an inhibitor of fatty acid oxidation, 2 h before ingestion of MCT emulsion. Then, 30 min after ingestion of LCT or MCT emulsion, food intake was measured for 1 h. Food intake in the MCT group was significantly lower than that in the LCT group, but there was no significant difference between the MCT+MA group and the LCT group. Food intake in the MCT+MA group was significantly higher than that in the MCT group. The hepatic ATP content after MCT ingestion was significantly higher than that after LCT ingestion, but there was no significant difference between the MCT+MA group and the LCT group. The hepatic ATP content after MCT+MA ingestion was significantly lower than that after MCT ingestion. These results suggest that ingestion of medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) increases the liver ATP content in fasted rats, consequently decreasing food intake.