Cited by 512Fibroblast Growth Factor ResearchDietary Effects on HealthPeroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors

The Circulating Metabolic Regulator FGF21 Is Induced by Prolonged Fasting and PPARα Activation in Man

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Gälman, Cecilia, Lundåsen, Tomas, Kharitonenkov, Alexei, Bina, Holly A., Eriksson, Mats, Hafström, Ingiäld, Dahlin, Maria, Åmark, Per +2 more·2008·Cell Metabolism

Abstract

FGF21 is a critical metabolic regulator, pivotal for fasting adaptation and directly regulated by PPARalpha in rodents. However, the physiological role of FGF21 in man is not yet defined and was investigated in our study. Serum FGF21 varied 250-fold among 76 healthy individuals and did not relate to age, gender, body mass index (BMI), serum lipids, or plasma glucose. FGF21 levels had no diurnal variation and were unrelated to bile acid or cholesterol synthesis. Ketosis induced by a 2 day fast or feeding a ketogenic diet (KD) did not influence FGF21 levels, whereas a 74% increase occurred after 7 days of fasting. Hypertriglyceridemic nondiabetic patients had 2-fold elevated FGF21 levels, which were further increased by 28% during fenofibrate treatment. FGF21 circulates in human plasma and increases by extreme fasting and PPARalpha activation. The wide interindividual variation and the induction of ketogenesis independent of FGF21 levels indicate that the physiological role of FGF21 in humans may differ from that in mice.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cmet.2008.06.014

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  • Ketogenic diets do not induce plasma FGF21 levels in humans.

    “ketogenic diets do not induce plasma FGF21 levels in humans26,30,34”

    From Metabolic messengers: FGF21 (2021) · cites this paper as [30]

  • Starvation, high sugar intake, and dietary protein restriction all induce circulating FGF21 levels in humans.

    “Starvation30,31, high sugar intake32,33 and dietary protein restriction26 all induce circulating FGF21 levels in humans.”

    From Metabolic messengers: FGF21 (2021) · cites this paper as [30]

  • Circulating FGF21 levels are induced in humans during prolonged fasting.

    “Consistent with data from rodents, circulating levels of FGF21 are also induced in humans during prolonged fasting (33, 42).”
  • Circulating FGF21 levels fail to increase in humans in response to a ketogenic diet.

    “Importantly, it is unclear whether there is any translational relevance of FGF21 to the beneficial effects of ketogenic diets in humans because circulating FGF21 levels fail to increase in humans in response to a ketogenic diet (19, 42, 73).”
  • The effect of fasting and ketogenic diets to increase FGF21 is not nearly as robust in humans as initially observed in mice.

    “The effect of fasting and ketogenic diets to increase FGF21 is not nearly as robust in humans as initially observed in mice”

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Authors
Gälman, C., Lundåsen, T., Kharitonenkov, A., Bina, H. A., Eriksson, M., Hafström, I., Dahlin, M., Åmark, P., Angelin, B., & Rudling, M.
Affiliations
  • Karolinska University Hospital (SE)
  • Eli Lilly (United States) (US)
Corresponding author
Rudling, Mats
Venue
Cell Metabolism
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2008-08
Volume
8
Issue
2
Pages
169-174
ISSN
1550-4131 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1983397453
Cited by
512
References
37
Citations by year
2026: 18 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 43 · 2015: 36 · 2014: 41 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 42
FWCI
9.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell Metabolism (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Fibroblast Growth Factor Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Dietary Effects on Health
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors
Keywords
FGF21, fasting, PPARα, ketogenesis, ketogenic diet, hypertriglyceridemia, fenofibrate, interindividual variability, bile acid synthesis, cholesterol biosynthesis, fasting adaptation
MeSH terms
Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Hypolipidemic Agents, Blood Glucose, Energy Intake, Energy Metabolism, Fasting, Female, Fibroblast Growth Factors, Food Deprivation, Humans, Hyperlipidemias, Ketones, Ketosis, Lipids, Male, Middle Aged, Sex Factors, Species Specificity, Up-Regulation, Body Mass Index, Caloric Restriction, PPAR alpha

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