Alexandre Dal-Pan (Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle), Stéphane Blanc (Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle), Fabienne Aujard (Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle)

Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic compound that activates proteins implicated in energy metabolism homeostasis. These activations can mimic metabolic aspects of calorie restriction in various species. This pathway targets selective nutrient utilization and mitochondrial oxidative function to regulate energy balance. Thiswork is the first to study the effects of resveratrol on energy metabolism in a nonhuman primate, the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus).

We have followed sixmouse lemurs during fourweeks by telemetric monitoring in order to evaluate the impact of a resveratrol supplementation (200 mg/kg) on body temperature and locomotor activity. Body mass and resting metabolic rate variations were analysed too. We also measured the rates of gut hormones influencing energy homeostasis (pancreatic polypeptide, peptide YY, glucagon-like peptide-1, insulin and glucose-dependant insulinotropic polypeptide).

Resveratrol had progressive effects on energy metabolism during the four weeks of treatment. Indeed, resveratrol induced an increase of resting metabolic rate and diurnal locomotor activity of the mouse lemurs with a decrease in body mass and in food intake. The animals seem to burn their energy reserves very quickly.We observed a rise of their body temperature and a decrease of daily hypothermia duration.

From the fourth week, pancreatic polypeptide, peptide YY and insulin are negatively associated with body temperature and only peptide YY is positively associated with daily hypothermia duration. These results highlight a quick and important stimulation of energy metabolism with an increase of body temperature, locomotor activity and resting metabolic rate in a non-human primate supplemented with resveratrol.