# Preventive and Ameliorative Effects of Alanine Supplementation on High-Fat Diet–Induced Obesity and Metabolic Dysfunction via the Gut–Liver–Adipose Axis in C57BL/6J Mice

## TL;DR

Alanine helps prevent and reduce obesity and related metabolic issues in mice by affecting the gut, liver, and fat tissues.

## Contribution

Alanine's preventive and therapeutic effects on obesity are demonstrated through the gut–liver–adipose axis in mice.

## Key findings

- Alanine reduced weight gain and improved blood markers in mice on a high-fat diet.
- Alanine lowered fat tissue mass and improved glucose tolerance in obese mice.
- Changes in specific gut bacteria may indicate Alanine's role in preventing obesity.

## Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the role of alanine (Ala) in regulating obesity and glucose homeostasis in C57BL/6J mice. Two independent experiments were conducted: a preventive model (Experiment 1: 10 weeks of concurrent high-fat diet (HFD) and Ala administration) and a therapeutic model (Experiment 2: 10 weeks of Ala treatment following a 10-week HFD-induced obesity period). In Experiment 1, Ala significantly attenuated HFD-induced weight gain (35.16 g vs. 30.82 g, p < 0.001), improved serum biochemistry profiles, and downregulated the expression of inflammatory proteins (p < 0.05). In Experiment 2, Ala administration reduced white adipose tissue (WAT) mass (1.82 g vs. 1.15 g, p < 0.001) and improved glucose tolerance (p < 0.05). The above benefits were validated by experimental analysis. Microbiota analysis from Experiment 1 suggested that changes in the relative abundance of Acinetobacter, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, and Haemophilus could serve as a potential indicator of species associated with obesity prevention. Taken together, the above findings suggest that Ala has the potential to prevent and treat obesity through the gut–liver–adipose axis.