Abstract: In order to explore the effects of different diet compositions on the expression of gene of uncoupling proteins 1 (UCP1) in rat brown adipose tissue(BAT), uncoupling proteins 2 (UCP2) in white adipose tissue(WAT) and uncoupling proteins 3 (UCP3) in skeletal muscle, male Wistar rats were fed with different diets (including basic diet, high protein diet, high fat diet, and high calorie 1st and 2nd diet) for 2 months. The effects of the different diets on weight and the ratio of fat to body weight were observed. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique was used to measure UCP1, UCP2 and UCP3 mRNA. The results showed that the body weight and the ratio of fat to body weight in the high calorie 1st and 2nd diet group are obviously higher than that in the groups of basic diet, high protein diet, and high fat diet (p<0.05), but there is no significant difference between the last three groups (p>0.05). The expression of UCP1and UCP2 genes increases and the expression of UCP3 gene decreases in the high calorie diet 1st and 2nd group, and no significant difference between basic diet, high protein diet and high fat diet group with equaled energy is observed. Energy can induce the expression of gene of UCP1 in rat BAT and UCP2 in WAT, but decrease the expression of gene of UCP3 in skeletal muscle.

Key words: UCPs, mRNA, RT-PCR