CLA et syndrome lipoatrophique chez la souris

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) refers to a class of positional and geometric dienoic isomers of linoleic acid. Chronic dietary supplementation with a commercial mixture containing c9,t11-CLA and t10,c12-CLA in equimolar quantity leads to a drop in fat mass in various species. The t10,c12-CLA isomer is responsible for this anti-obesity effect. The reduction of fat mass is especially dramatic in the mouse, in which it is associated with a severe hyperinsulinemia, an insulin resistance and a massive liver steatosis. The origin of these adverse side effects and the putative chronology of events leading to CLA-mediated lipoatrophic syndrome are presented and discussed in this review.