Long-term consumption of energy drinks induces biochemical and ultrastructural alterations in the heart muscle.

OBJECTIVE: Energy drinks (EDs) target young and active individuals and they are being marketed as enhancers of energy, concentration, and physical and cognitive performance. Their long-term consumption raises serious health concerns related to cardiovascular events. Here we investigate the effects of long-term Red Bull® consumption and its combination with alcohol on certain biochemical parameters and the ultrastructure of the myocardium. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were categorized into four groups and given different treatments via oral administration. The Control (C) group received tap water, the Red Bull (RB) group received 1.5 ml/100 g body weight of Red Bull, the ethanol group (E) received 0.486 mg/100 g body weight of ethanol, and the Red Bull and ethanol (RBE) received a combination of the two beverages for 30 days. In the last 6 days of the experiment, the animals were tested for their physical performance by conducting a weight-loaded forced swim test. Immediately after swimming exhaustion, the animals were sacrificed under anesthesia and samples of the heart muscle were harvested for ultrastructural and biochemical analyses. RESULTS: Our results showed a significant increase in the heart glucose and glycogen concentrations in the RB and RBE groups. Total cholesterol concentration significantly decreased in the RBE and RB groups. Total protein concentration and ALT and AST activities increased in all groups. The biochemical changes were accompanied by ultrastructural alterations. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, we recommend that athletes and active persons should avoid the long-term consumption of the Red Bull ED and, particularly, its combination with alcohol.

Fenugreek powder exerts protective effects on alcoholised rats' kidney, highlighted using ultrastructural studies.

Trigonella foenum-graecum (TFG) seeds exert a protective antioxidant effect and membrane protector through their rich content in polyphenolic flavonoids. The previous research focused on the hypoglycemic action of the seeds, with scarce studies on the preventive effects in the pathology of the kidney. Our work was conducted on an experimental in vivo model; the animals were given two different concentrations of TFG seeds, consequently to alcohol intoxication. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed vacuolation in cytoplasm, edemas at the apical pole of the nephrocytes, diffusion of the cytoplasmic and mitochondrial matrix and the increase in number of the lysozymes and especially peroxisomes, as well as the congestion of blood capillaries. In the case of the groups T5R and T10R, which received Trigonella powder together with ethanol, the structural and ultrastructural changes produced by the ethylic intoxication were more reduced, being somewhat improved in the T5R group. Therefore, the majority of the cells nuclei have retained their spherical shape, being at the same time predominantly euchromatic, with little heterochromatin and evenly dispersed. Our results suggest the use of Trigonella seeds as a food supplement to prevent cellular deterioration and improve renal morphology and function.