Effects of Different Ratio of Fatty Acid and Melatonin or Tomato on Lipid Metabolism and Body Fat Accumulation in Postmenopausal Rats and Women

The worldwide prevalence of obesity is steadily increasing. Several studies have reported an association between chronic sleep deprivation and long-term weight gain. Recently, many reports suggest that the decrease in endogenous melatonin with aging may alter metabolism and physical activity, resulting in increased body weight, visceral adiposity, and associated detrimental metabolic consequences. Postmenopausal status is associated with higher prevalence of abdominal obesity, it caused by estrogen deficiency. After menopause, the metabolic syndrome populations were increased and they may have poor sleeping quality. Thus, it is important to define the roles of fatty acid compositions and melatonin on weight gain and fat accumulation in postmenopausal women. This project will be designed to more clearly define their roles, by performing animal and human studies. To understand the effects of different doses of dietary fat and melatonin on lipid metabolism, we will conduct this three year project. In the first year, we will compare the effects of three different doses of dietary fat with specific fatty acid ratios on the mechanism of fat accumulation by measuring hepatic enzyme activities, adipokines, leptin, and gene expression in OVX rats. The second year, we will compare the effects of specific fat with different doses of melatonin on the enzymes involving fat synthesis and oxidation, insulin, leptin, adiponectin, and peroxisome proliferators activated receptors by using a postmenopausal animal model. The third year, we will assess whether the consumption of tomato affecting on obese postmenopausal women’s sleep quality, lipid metabolism and body composition. Our results can provide more information about a proper choice of dietary fat composition and melatonin or tomato for weight management and sleeping control in postmenopausal women.