La fura (Mustela putorius furo) com a model experimental per a l'estudi dels efectes del b-carotè en obesitat i càncer
- Fuster Roca, María Antonia
- Andreu Palou Oliver Director
- Catalina Picó Segura Director
Defence university: Universitat de les Illes Balears
Fecha de defensa: 25 May 2009
- Lluís Arola Chair
- Paula Oliver Vara Secretary
- María Puy Portillo Baquedano Committee member
- Xavier Remesar Betlloch Committee member
- Evert M. Van Schothorst Committee member
Type: Thesis
Abstract
The effects of b-carotene promoting or protecting against lung cancer are unclear. Furthermore, b-carotene, as retinoic acid precursor, could induce thermogenesis and regulate body adiposity. The ferret represents a good model to study the effects of oral administration of b-carotene because it absorbs it almost intact (similarly to humans). We have shown that the intake of b-carotene together with other antioxidants does not seem to induce cancer as it does not increase cellular proliferation in lung and prevents the effects of the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene. In addition, pharmacological b-carotene doses in ferrets have different effects from retinoic acid, increasing adiposity and decreasing thermogenic capacity, especially in the retroperitoneal adipose tissue which, in ferrets, resembles brown adipose tissue, since it has an important percentage of multilocular adipocytes and expresses significant amount of UCP1.