Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2014; 122 - P135
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1372152

The influence of different nutrition interventions on the circadian pattern of the glucocorticoid metabolism by twins

S Hornemann 1, 2, C Maser-Gluth 3, K Jürchott 4, O Pivovarova 1, 2, A Kramer 5, A Busjahn 6, AF Pfeiffer 1, 2
  • 1German Institute of Human Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, Nuthetal, Germany
  • 2Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité University Medicine, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Berlin, Germany
  • 3University of Heidelberg, Institute for Pharmokology, Heidelberg, Germany
  • 4Charité – University Medicine Berlin, Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin, Germany
  • 5Campus Charité Mitte, Charité University Medicine, Laboratory of Chronobiology, Institute for Medical Immunology, Berlin, Germany
  • 6Health Twist GmbH, Berlin, Germany

Aims: The potential bioactive free glucocorticoids, especially cortisol are important marker variables to investigate the circadian rhythm. Our study analyzed the effect of a nutritional switch from a moderately high carbohydrate diet (MHC) to a high fat diet (HF) under isocaloric conditions on the circadian pattern of the glucocorticoid metabolism and on peripheral involved enzymes in adipose tissue 11ß-HSD 1 and 2 and also investigating the genetic relationship by twins.

Materials and methods: 92 non-obese healthy twins aged 18 – 70 years were investigated for 12 weeks. An isocaloric MHC diet was applied for 6 weeks followed by an isocaloric HF diet for another 6 weeks. Cortisol, cortisone and their metabolites allo-THF, THF, THE in saliva were measured after the MHC (CID 1) and HF periods (CID2) at timepoints 4:00, 8:00, 12:00 a.m and also p.m. An extended sinus model was fitted to the data of salivary glucocorticoid and the calculated mesors, amplitudes and acrophases were compared using bootstrap approaches and permutation tests. Equally 24h urine samples were collected and gene expression of the isoenzyme 11ß-HSD was assessed in biopsies from adipose tissue on both CID's.

Results: Responses of cortisol expression to diets were quite heterogenous and independent of gender and age. The level of cortisone in urine decreased significantly in the whole cohorte (p < 0,001), especially in females (p < 0,01). The metabolite allo-THF in urine also decreased, significantly in males (p < 0,001) and somewhat less significantly in females (p < 0,01). The fat biopsy showed a decrease of 11ß-HSD1 enzyme and accordingly an increase of 11ß-HSD2.

Conclusion: We observed high expression of glucocorticoids after 6 weeks of an isocaloric high fat diet correlating with an inhibition of 11β-HSD1 in adipose tissue, but only quite response in the diurnal expression rhythm of salivary cortisol.