The Study
Postnatal early overfeeding induces hypothalamic higher SOCS3 expression and lower STAT3 activity in adult rats.
This study is like comparing two groups of baby rats - some got lots of food (small litters) and some got normal amounts. The researchers watched them grow up and found that the overfed rats became fatter and had problems with their leptin hormones. But here's the important part: just because the overfed rats got fat doesn't PROVE that the extra food made them fat. Other factors could be at play. This study can only show that these things TEND TO HAPPEN TOGETHER, not that one causes the other.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
Baby rats given extra milk (by keeping litters small) grow up with more body fat and develop leptin resistance
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 59 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This study shows early overfeeding in rats leads to obesity and metabolic problems in adulthood, including central leptin resistance.
- 2Rats from small litters (3 pups) had higher body weight and fat mass at 21 and 180 days.
- 3At 21 days: higher leptin, insulin, glucose, HDL-C.
- 4At 180 days: lower HDL-C, higher SOCS3, lower JAK2/p-STAT3 in hypothalamus.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The Journal of nutritional biochemistry
Year
2011
Authors
A. L. Rodrigues, E. D. de Moura, M. Passos, I. Trevenzoli, E. D. da Conceição, Isabela Teixeira Bonono, J. F. N. Neto, P. Lisboa
Related Content
Claims (6)
When baby rats are given too much food right after birth, they develop a problem when they grow up where their brains don't respond properly to leptin, a hormone that controls hunger. This is shown by higher levels of one protein (SOCS3) and lower activity of two other proteins (JAK2 and p-STAT3) in the part of the brain that manages hunger signals.
When baby rats are given too much food right after birth, they actually have higher 'good cholesterol' when they're young, but as adults (around 6 months), they end up with lower 'good cholesterol' levels compared to normally fed rats.
Baby rats that are overfed after birth by being in small litters grow up to have more body fat and weigh more than rats from normal-sized litters, both as young pups and as adults
Feeding baby rats too much food right after birth makes them have higher levels of certain hormones and sugar in their blood when they're just 3 weeks old.
If baby rats eat too much right after birth, they won't develop diabetes when they grow up, even though they have high blood sugar as babies.
When someone has too much insulin in their blood for a long time, it blocks the brain's ability to respond to leptin - the hormone that tells us we're full - so the person keeps feeling hungry and eating even though their body already has enough energy stored.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.