ChromeMate® Influences Genes Promoting Muscle Development and Lean Body Mass; Improves Lipid Profiles

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Metabolic Syndrome is a cluster of symptoms that can include abdominal obesity, inefficient insulin function, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high triglyceride and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, and low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. ChromeMate®, an oxygen-coordinated niacin-bound form of chromium (III), has been shown in earlier animal and human studies to promote healthy blood lipid profiles and glucose metabolism, as well as lean body mass. This new study further substantiates that ChromeMateimproves lipid profiles and promotes lean body mass. Researchers investigated the effects of ChromeMate supplementation in Lepr^db mice, which are born obese and diabetic and are an appropriate model for studying Metabolic Syndrome. The Lepr^db mice typically suffer from abnormally high blood glucose and lipid profiles beginning at 30 days of life. ChromeMate supplementation significantly lowered total cholesterol, LDL and triglyceride levels, and increased beneficial HDL levels. Furthermore, Gene Microarray Analysis (using more than 45,000 sets of mouse genome), in conjunction with RT-PCR, demonstrated that ChromeMate up-regulates (activates) the expression of four muscle specific genes within the subcutaneous fat. These genes provide the signal for muscle development in the fat tissue, indicating that ChromeMate enhances the production of lean body mass.  ChromeMate also down-regulated (de-activated) genes that encode for CIDEA and UCP1, which are key components in brown fat tissue. CIDEA is considered a “candidate” gene for obesity; mice that do not possess this gene are resistant to diet-induced obesity and diabetes, thus its down-regulation by ChromeMate is highly favorable. ChromeMate also down-regulated TTP, a gene that provides antioxidant support to all tissues for survival, in the subcutaneous fat. Thus, ChromeMate supplementation terminates antioxidant support to, and ultimately kills, fat cells. This study indicates that ChromeMate may help protect against the risk factors associated with Metabolic Syndrome, and triggers the genetic signaling by which ChromeMate increases lean body mass.  The study corroborates earlier human studies showing the same.

Source: Rink D, Roy S, Khanna S, Rink T, Bagchi D, Sen, CK. Transcriptome of the subcutaneous adipose tissue in response to oral supplementation of type 2 Lepr^db obese diabetic mice with niacin-bound chromium.  Physiol Genomics. 27: 370-379 (2006).

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