The chronic effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid plus sodium ferrous citrate on pre-diabetic wistar rats

5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is produced by mitochondria and is expected to improve many health issues. In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of 5-ALA plus sodium ferrous citrate (5-ALA/SFC) on obese rats. Wistar rats on a high-fat diet were orally administered 5-ALA/SFC at different dosages daily for 6 months. We found that 5-ALA/SFC effectively reduced plasma glucose levels and insulin resistance. Interestingly, although 5-ALA/SFC improved appetite, decreases in body weight and visceral fat were observed. The promotion of appetite may depend on the regulation of two appetite factors, amylin and peptide YY (PYY). Furthermore, adiponectin, inflammatory factor monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) might participate in the glucose and lipid metabolism. More importantly, 5-ALA/SFC was likely to regulate the expression of COXIV, UCP1, UCP2, Glut2, and SERBP-1c in related tissues to maintain the homeostasis of the mitochondrial metabolism, reduce fat accumulation in the liver, decrease visceral fat accumulation, and further promote glucose and fat metabolism. Our data indicated 5-ALA/SFC may ameliorate obesity and prevent the emergence of prediabetes states.