• brain functions
• inflammation
• liver metabolism
• obesity
• succinate

The impact of obesity on health is not yet fully understood, as it involves a wide range of damaging processes affecting various body systems. This complexity makes obesity a major contributor to numerous health complications, in particular it is linked to metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes and NAFLD. A growing body of evidence has also associated obesity with an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive dysfunction, such as Alzheimer’s disease and anxiety. For this reason it has grown important to understand more about the possible ways in which obesity affects metabolic disorders and brain function and the possible nutritional strategies to counteract its negative effects.
Previous research showed that intermittent fasting combined with a balanced diet improved glucose tolerance and anxiety-like behavior in DIO mice, with higher succinate levels observed in these mice. Succinate, a metabolite involved in energy balance and inflammation, may play a role in diet induced inflammation and influence liver and brain function, yet little is known about its specific effects.
This thesis aims to explore the impact of succinate supplementation in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. The main objectives include:
1. Assessing its effects on general metabolic parameters, such as body weight, specific fat depots, and glucose tolerance.
2. Monitoring liver function by analyzing the expression levels of various genes related to glucose and lipid metabolism in liver tissue.
3. Investigating the potential beneficial effects of succinate on the brain through a series of behavioral tests, evaluating exploratory and anxiety-like behaviors, and examining the expression levels of inflammatory markers in the hippocampus.