Intermittent fasting associated with aerobic exercise improves oxidative parameters and causes muscle damage without compromising the performance of Wistar rats.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to` investigate the effects of intermittent fasting (IF) and the possible association with aerobic exercise on performance, oxidative, biochemical, and somatic parameters of Wistar rats. METHODS: Forty rats were randomized into the following groups: sedentary (SC) and trained (TC) controls, sedentary intermittent fasting (SIF), and trained intermittent fasting (TIF). The rats were subjected to IF for 15 h every day and aerobic exercise lasting 30 min, five times a week, at a speed of 15 m/min for 4 wk. Performance tests were performed at the beginning and end of the protocol. Glucose and insulin tolerance, somatic parameters, lipidogram, leptin, insulin, malondialdehyde, antioxidant capacity, C-reactive protein, alpha acid glycoprotein, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and muscle histology were analyzed. RESULTS: The trained groups had similar performance and significantly improved performance at the end of the experiment. TIF showed lower body weight (-16 g), lean mass (22.49%), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (29%), and lactate dehydrogenase (48%), and higher malondialdehyde (53%) and antioxidant capacity (75%) than the TC group. The SIF and TIF groups showed a fiber area reduction and positivity marking for tumor necrosis factor-α in the muscles. CONCLUSION: Although IF associated with aerobic exercise improved antioxidant capacity caused damage to muscle fibers and lean mass loss, it did not change the performance of the rats.

Maternal high-fat diet alters the neurobehavioral, biochemical and inflammatory parameters of their adult female rat offspring.

BACKGROUND: Lipid metabolism dysregulations have been associated with depressive and anxious behaviors which can affect pregnant and lactating individuals, with indications that such changes extend to the offspring. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a maternal high-fat diet on the neurobehavioral, biochemical and inflammatory parameters of their adult female offspring. METHODS: Wistar rats ± 90 days old were mated. The dams were allocated to consume a control (CTL) or high-fat (HFD) diet during pregnancy and lactation. After weaning, the female offspring from the CTL (N = 10) and HFD (N = 10) groups received standard chow. The offspring behavioral tests were started at 120 days old. Then, the somatic measures were evaluated followed by euthanasia, histological and biochemical analyses. RESULTS: The HFD group had less ambulation and longer immobility time in the open field test compared to the CTL. The HFD group had lower HDL (48.4%) and a higher adiposity (71.8%) and LDL (62.2%) than the CTL. The CTL had a higher organic acid concentration in the intestine, mainly acetic and butyric acids, however the HFD had a higher citric and acetic acid concentration in the brain and ischemic lesion in the hippocampus with a higher NF-κB concentration. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate deleterious effects of a maternal HFD on the neurobehavioral and biochemical parameters of their offspring which may be associated with the role of organic acids and NF-κB in fetal programming.

Acerola fruit by-product alleviates lipid, glucose, and inflammatory changes in the enterohepatic axis of rats fed a high-fat diet.

Acerola (Malpighia emarginata) by-product (ABP) has various bioactive compounds with hypoglycaemic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The ABP effects on the biochemical changes in the enterohepatic axis caused by a high-fat diet (HFD) remains unclear. This study assessed whether the ABP or fenofibrate administration for 28 days interferes in lipid, glucose, or inflammatory changes in the enterohepatic axis of rats fed HFD. ABP induced in the rats fed HFD a reduction in body weight, serum lipids, blood glucose, and liver fat accumulation; increased insulin tolerance, and faecal bile acid excretion; regulated organic acid synthesis, faecal and colonic microbial growth; reduced M1 macrophage and increased M2 macrophage infiltration in the colon and liver, respectively. The fenofibrate did not improve the lipid or glucose alterations in enterohepatic axis of rats fed HFD. ABP has functional/nutraceutical potential in treating HFD-induced metabolic disorders with beneficial effects on lipid and glucose metabolism, and reduction of inflammation.

Does intermittent fasting associated with aerobic training influence parameters related to the gut-brain axis of Wistar rats?

BACKGROUND: Intermittent fasting (IF) and aerobic training have demonstrated beneficial effects on intestinal microbiota composition, but little is known about benefits to the brain through the gut-brain axis. The present study aimed to evaluate gut-brain axis parameters in Wistar rats submitted to IF associated or not with aerobic training. METHODS: Male rats were evaluated for training performance and then randomized into 4 groups of ten: sedentary control (SC), trained control (TC), sedentary intermittent fasting (SIF), and trained intermittent fasting (TIF), and evaluated during four weeks. RESULTS: The adiposity index was similar among the TC (2.15±0.43%), SIF (1.98±0.69%) and TIF (1.86±0.51%) groups, and differed from SC (2.98±0.80%). TIF had lower counts of lactic acid bacteria, while SIF had higher counts of Bifidobacterium and Enterococcus. TIF had the highest amount of formic acid in faeces (44.44±2.40 µmol/g) and lowest amount of succinic acid in the gut (0.38±0.00 µmol/g), while SIF had the highest propionic acid amount in the faeces (802.80±00.33 µmol/g) and the lowest amount of lactic acid in the gut (0.85±0.00 µmol/g). TIF demonstrated a tendency towards an anxiolytic effect and SIF showed potential antidepressant effect. IF caused different brain and intestinal injuries. TIF rats presented a diffuse and intense marking of IL-1ß in the hippocampus. CONCLUSION: IF and aerobic exercise, associated or not, can modulate parameters related to the gut-brain axis of Wistar rats, and some benefits may be related to the amounts of organic acids.

Potentially obesogenic diets alter metabolic and neurobehavioural parameters in Wistar rats: a comparison between two dietary models.

BACKGROUND: Clinical studies related to the obesity pandemic have intensified in recent years, being the animal studies are also considered of great relevance. However, despite the fact that many diets have been reported in the literature to induce obesity in animal models, there is still a gap regarding evidence of the efficacy of these models, considering not only changes in somatic parameters, but also the triggering of comorbidities associated with obesity. In this scenario, the aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of western and cafeteria diets as obesity-inducing protocols, focusing on the evaluation of metabolic, somatic, oxidative, histological and behavioural parameters of Wistar rats. METHODS: The rats were fed a control (CON), western (WTD) or cafeteria (CAF) diet for 16 weeks. RESULTS: The CAF diet caused anxiogenic-like behaviour. Body mass (BMI), Lee and adiposity indices increased in the CAF group. CAF and WTD diets reduced glucose and insulin tolerance, caused dyslipidemia, increased lipid peroxidation and decrease antioxidant capacity in the liver, kidneys and brain. The WTD and CAF groups shows greater IL-6 protein expression in adipose tissue, developed hepatic steatosis and ischaemic neurons, whereas interstitial nephritis was observed only in the CAF group. CONCLUSION: The CAF diet was most effective in inducing obesity, as shown both by the somatic parameters and by the greater number of obesity-related metabolic and neurobehavioural disorders in the evaluated rats.

Antidepressant, Anxiolytic and Neuroprotective Activities of Two Zinc Compounds in Diabetic Rats.

Behavioral disorders affect most diabetic patients and Zinc (Zn) has been used among adjuvant therapies for involvement in the etiology of depression and anxiety, however, the results are still controversial. The objective of this study was to compare the antidepressant, anxiolytic and neuroprotective activity of the supplementation of two Zn compounds in an animal model of Diabetes Mellitus type 1 (DM1). Thirty-eight (38) adult rats were randomized into four groups: Control (C; n = 8); Diabetic (D; n = 10); Diabetic Zn Sulfate Supplement (DSZ; n = 10) and Diabetic Zn Gluconate Supplement (DGZ; n = 10). The DSZ group received Zn sulfate supplementation and the DGZ group received Zn gluconate supplementation at a dose of 15 mg/kg for 4 weeks. Data (mean ±SEM) were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test with a significance level of p < 0.05. The results indicate that Zn gluconate supplementation in diabetic animals presented an antidepressant effect demonstrated through the results obtained in the Forced Swim Test, and neuroprotective effect by attenuating alterations in the cerebral cortex; while Zn sulfate supplementation in diabetic animals showed an anxiolytic effect demonstrated by the results obtained in the open field test and the elevated plus maze test. Considering the set of results, supplementation with both zinc compounds showed neurobehavioral benefits in diabetic animals with different effects depending on the type of anion associated with Zn.

Effects of honey from Mimosa quadrivalvis L. (malícia) produced by the Melipona subnitida D. (jandaíra) stingless bee on dyslipidaemic rats.

This study assessed the effects of supplementation with honey from Mimosa quadrivalvis L. (malícia) (MH) produced by jandaíra stingless bees (Melipona subnitida D.) on the lipid metabolism, antioxidant status and some intestinal health parameters of rats with diet-induced dyslipidaemia. Rats were randomly divided into four groups: healthy control (HC), dyslipidaemic control (DC), healthy experimental (EHH) and dyslipidaemic experimental (EDH). Malícia honey (MH) was administered (1000 mL kg-1) via orogastric feeding for 35 days. Dyslipidaemic rats supplemented with MH showed lower food consumption, increased glucose tolerance and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and decreased total cholesterol, LDL and AST blood levels. Counts of Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. and excretion of organic acids in faeces increased in dyslipidaemic rats supplemented with MH. MH supplementation protected the colon and liver from tissue damage induced by the dyslipidaemic diet. These results show the beneficial effects of MH on the lipid metabolism, antioxidant status and intestinal health of rats with diet-induced dyslipidaemia.