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Introduction: This study aimed to analyze the effects of cannabis oil (cannabidiol:tetrahydrocannabinol [CBD:THC], 2:1 ratio) on the mechanisms involved in hepatic steatosis and oxidative stress in an experimental model of metabolic syndrome (MS) induced by a sucrose-rich diet (SRD). We hypothesized that noninvasive oral cannabis oil administration improves hepatic steatosis through a lower activity of lipogenic enzymes and an increase in carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1) enzyme activity involved in the mitochondrial oxidation of fatty acids. Furthermore, cannabis oil ameliorates liver oxidative stress through the regulation of the main regulatory factors involved, nuclear factor erythroid 2 (NrF2) and nuclear factor-kB (NF-κB) p65. For testing this hypothesize, a relevant experimental model of MS was induced by feeding rats with a SRD for 3 weeks. Methods: Male Wistar rats were fed the following diets for 3 weeks: reference diet: standard commercial laboratory diet, SRD, and SRD + cannabis oil: noninvasive oral administration of 1 mg/kg body weight cannabis oil daily. The full-spectrum cannabis oil presents a total cannabinoid CBD:THC 2:1 ratio. Serum glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase (AP), N-arachidonoylethanolamine or anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol endocannabinoids levels, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels, and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (ferric ion-reducing antioxidant power [FRAP]) were evaluated. In the liver tissue: histology, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease activity score (NAS), triglycerides and cholesterol content, lipogenic enzyme activities (fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, malic enzyme, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase), enzyme related to mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (CPT-1), reactive oxygen species, TBARS, FRAP, glutathione, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase enzyme activities. 4-hydroxynonenal, NrF2, and NF-κB p65 levels were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Results: The results showed that SRD-fed rats developed dyslipidemia, liver damage, hepatic steatosis (increase of key enzymes related to the novo fatty acid synthesis and decrease of key enzyme related to mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation), lipid peroxidation, and oxidative stress. Hepatic NrF2 expression was significantly decreased and NF-κB p65 expression was increased. Cannabis oil administration improved dyslipidemia, liver damage, hepatic steatosis, lipid peroxidation (improving enzymes involved in lipid metabolism), and oxidative stress. In the liver tissue, NrF2 expression increased, and NF-κB p65 expression was reduced. Conclusion: The present study revealed new aspects of liver damage and steatosis, lipid peroxidation, and oxidative stress in dyslipidemic insulin-resistant SRD-fed rats. We demonstrated new properties and molecular mechanisms of cannabis oil (CBD:THC, 2:1 ratio) on lipotoxicity and hepatic oxidative stress in an experimental model of MS.
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Introducción: La influencia que la vida académica ejerce sobre los estilos de vida en estudiantes universitarios es un hecho reconocido. Como estrategia adoptada para evitar la propagación masiva del virus SARS-CoV-2, el gobierno argentino decretó en 2020 medidas de aislamiento y distanciamiento social que derivaron en el cese de la presencialidad de los estudiantes en las universidades; por ello, esta situación particular representó un escenario desconocido. Objetivos: Evaluar cambios en los hábitos alimentarios y de actividad física (AF), en el contexto del confinamiento por COVID19, en estudiantes de la Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Materiales y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal, observacional y descriptivo, durante junio a agosto de 2020. Se utilizó un cuestionario online para indagar datos demográficos, alimentación y AF, desarrollado ad hoc y validado por expertos (confiabilidad: alfa de Cronbach=0,85) y prueba piloto. La muestra poblacional (no probabilística) incluyó 1259 estudiantes, de 22 ± 3 años, con predominio femenino (78%). Resultados: El 63% vivía en el mismo lugar que durante la presencialidad y el 96% acompañado. Un 63% percibió que las medidas de confinamiento modificaron su relación con la alimentación, mayormente por cuestiones emocionales (71%). El 81% aumentó el consumo de comidas caseras y el 26% utilizó delivery con mayor frecuencia. Un 49% calificó su alimentación como medianamente saludable; la mayoría (71%) realizó las cuatro comidas principales y, entre quienes omitieron al menos una (29%), los principales motivos fueron no tener hambre (38%) y levantarse tarde (34%). Entre quienes bebían alcohol, el 56% consumió menos. El 62% disminuyó la actividad física y el 20% la mantuvo. Conclusiones: El confinamiento social impactó negativamente disminuyendo la actividad física, mientras que la alimentación resultó modificada tanto por aspectos negativos como por otros positivos. Esta información resulta valiosa para plasmar intervenciones destinadas a mantener estilos de vida saludables en esta población universitaria
Introduction: The influence that academic life exerts on lifestyle of university students is a recognized fact. As a strategy adopted to prevent the massive spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the Argentinian government decreed isolation and social distancing measures in 2020 that led to the cessation of attendance by students at universities; therefore, this particular situation represented an unknown scenario. Objectives: To evaluate changes in habits eating and physical activity (PA), in the context of confinement by COVID-19, in students of the Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, observational and descriptive study was carried out from June to August 2020. An online questionnaire was used to investigate demographic data, diet and PA, developed ad hoc and validated by experts (reliability: Cronbach's alpha=0.85) and pilot test. The population sample (non-probabilistic method) included 1259 students, 22 ±3 years old, predominantly female (78%). Results: 63% lived in the same place as during the attendance and 96% were accompanied. Moreover, 63% perceived that confinement measures modified their relationship with food, mostly for emotional reasons (71%). On the other hand, 81% increased their consumption of homemade meals and 26% used delivery more frequently. 49% of the students described their diet as moderately healthy; the majority (71%) ate all four main meals, and among those who skipped at least one (29%), the main reasons were not being hungry (38%) and getting up late (34%). Among those who drank alcohol, 56% consumed less.In other matters, 62% decreased physical activity and 20% maintained it. Conclusions: Social confinement had a negative impact by decreasing physical activity, while diet was modified by both negative and positive aspects. This information is valuable to capture interventions aimed at maintaining healthy lifestyles in this university population
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Humanos , Adulto , Exercício Físico , QuarentenaRESUMO
The purposes of the present study were to analyze liver inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in an experimental model of metabolic syndrome (MS) induced by chronic administration of a sucrose-rich diet (SRD) and to evaluate the effects of chia seed as a therapeutic strategy. Male Wistar rats were fed with a reference diet (RD) for 6 months or a SRD for 3 months. Then, the latter group was randomly divided into two subgroups. One subgroup continued receiving the SRD for up to 6 months and the other was fed with a SRD where whole chia seed was incorporated as a source of dietary fat for the next 3 months (SRD + CHIA). Results showed that rats fed a SRD for a long period of time developed dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Hepatic NAS, IL-1ß, NFκB p65, PAI-1, and F4-80 expression, as well as MPO activity were significantly increased and IL-10 expression was significantly decreased; this was accompanied by increased plasma IL-6 and TNF-α levels in rats fed a SRD. In addition, serum and liver nitric oxide (NO) levels and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) were significantly increased in the SRD group. In addition, a significant increase in hepatic iNOS expression and a positive correlation of this with liver NFκB p65 was found. We observed a significant increase in hepatic intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM), and a negative correlation of this with liver Nrf2 was found. The administration of chia seed for 3 months reversed dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. In the liver tissue, NAS, IL-1ß, IL-10, NFκB p65, PAI-1, and F4-80 expression and MPO activity were normalized. Serum and liver NO and NOS levels and hepatic iNOS expression were decreased and this last one was associated with a decrease in liver NFκB p65 levels. Hepatic ICAM-1 was normalized and negatively correlated with liver NrF2 levels. This study showed new aspects of liver inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in dyslipidemic insulin resistant rats chronically fed with a sucrose-rich diet. In addition, we demonstrated new properties and molecular mechanisms associated with beneficial effects on inflammation and endothelial dysfunction of chia seed as a therapeutic strategy.
