RESUMO
Monosodium l-glutamate (MSG)-induced obesity is a useful model for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) studies. However, there is limited data on its initiation and progression. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the onset of metabolic and histopathological features of NAFLD and its progression to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in this model. To perform this study, Swiss mice pups were neonatally injected with MSG (4 g/kg/day, s.c.) or equiosmolar saline and followed up to 60, 120 or 180 days old. At each age, blood, liver, as well as periepididymal and retroperitoneal fat pads were collected for morphometric, biochemical and histological analyses, the later according to NAFLD activity score. MSG mice presented hypertriglyceridemia and central obesity at all ages, but peripheral insulin-resistance was verified only in 120- and 180-day-old mice. Hepatic total fat and triglycerides content were higher in MSG mice at all ages. Accordingly, histopathological analysis showed that 60-day-old MSG mice had microvesicular steatosis with occasional ballooning, which evolved into NASH from 120 days old. Retroperitoneal fat accumulation was the only variable to independently correlate with NAFLD activity total score upon multivariate analysis (R 2=71.45%). There were no differences in IL-6 and TNF-α serum levels among groups. Overall, this study shows that NAFLD is a precocious outcome in MSG-obese mice, whereas the period comprised between 60 and 120 days old seems to be a crucial metabolic window for comprehending pathophysiological events involved in NAFLD-to-NASH progression in this model.
Assuntos
Modelos Animais de Doenças , Hipertrigliceridemia/metabolismo , Fígado/patologia , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/metabolismo , Obesidade/complicações , Gordura Abdominal/metabolismo , Adolescente , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idade de Início , Animais , Animais Recém-Nascidos , Progressão da Doença , Feminino , Humanos , Hipertrigliceridemia/diagnóstico , Hipertrigliceridemia/etiologia , Metabolismo dos Lipídeos , Fígado/metabolismo , Masculino , Camundongos , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/diagnóstico , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/etiologia , Hepatopatia Gordurosa não Alcoólica/patologia , Obesidade/induzido quimicamente , Obesidade/metabolismo , Glutamato de Sódio/toxicidade , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Obesity is a metabolic and hormonal disorder with serious social and psychological impacts. There is a close relationship among obesity, neuroendocrine homeostasis and behavioral patterns. However, few data are available in the literature regarding this subject. This study assessed behavior and memory of adult obese rats by monosodium l-glutamate (MSG) neonatal treatment or highly palatable dietary treatment. METHODS: MSG obesity was induced by subcutaneous injections of MSG (4 mg/g) during the first 5 days of life (Ob-MSG); control group (C-MSG), received saline solution equimolar. Both groups were fed with commercial chow. To induce dietary obesity, 21-day-old rats were assigned to two experimental diets: highly palatable diet (Ob-Diet) and control diet (C-Diet) composed of commercial chow. Ninety-day-old animals were submitted to behavioral assessment by the open-field test and short- and long-term memory by the object recognition test. Biometric variables were obtained, the Lee index was calculated and mass of retroperitoneal and perigonadal fat pads was measured. Furthermore, an altered behavioral profile was investigated by quantification of plasmatic corticosterone, expression, and activity of hypothalamic extracellular signal-regulated kinase protein (ERK) 1 and 2. RESULTS: Increased Lee index and fat pads were observed in Ob-MSG and Ob-Diet groups. Ob-MSG presented a higher level of anxiety and impaired long-term memory compared to C-MSG, while there was no difference between Ob-Diet and C-Diet. The Ob-MSG group presented a higher level of plasmatic corticosterone and increased phosphorylation of hypothalamic ERK1 and 2. DISCUSSION: Both treatments induced obesity but only Ob-MSG showed altered behavioral parameters, which is related to increased concentration of corticosterone and hypothalamic ERK1 and 2 activation.
Assuntos
Corticosterona/sangue , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Hipotálamo/metabolismo , Sistema de Sinalização das MAP Quinases , Consolidação da Memória , Neurônios/metabolismo , Obesidade/metabolismo , Animais , Animais Recém-Nascidos , Comportamento Animal/efeitos dos fármacos , Corticosterona/agonistas , Ativação Enzimática/efeitos dos fármacos , Hipotálamo/efeitos dos fármacos , Hipotálamo/enzimologia , Sistema de Sinalização das MAP Quinases/efeitos dos fármacos , Masculino , Consolidação da Memória/efeitos dos fármacos , Memória de Longo Prazo/efeitos dos fármacos , Memória de Curto Prazo/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteína Quinase 1 Ativada por Mitógeno/química , Proteína Quinase 1 Ativada por Mitógeno/metabolismo , Proteína Quinase 3 Ativada por Mitógeno/química , Proteína Quinase 3 Ativada por Mitógeno/metabolismo , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/agonistas , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/metabolismo , Neurônios/efeitos dos fármacos , Neurônios/enzimologia , Obesidade/sangue , Obesidade/induzido quimicamente , Fosforilação/efeitos dos fármacos , Processamento de Proteína Pós-Traducional/efeitos dos fármacos , Distribuição Aleatória , Ratos Wistar , Glutamato de Sódio/toxicidadeRESUMO
Obesity and metabolic syndrome are the common causes of reproductive and fertility disorders in women. In particular, polycystic ovary syndrome, which is clinically characterized by hyperandrogenism, oligo/anovulation, and polycystic ovarian morphology, has been increasingly associated with metabolic disorders. However, given the broad interplay between metabolic and reproductive functions, this remains a field of intense research. In this study, we investigated the effect of monosodium l-glutamate (MSG)-induced obesity on reproductive biology of female rats. Newborn female rats were subcutaneously injected with MSG (4g/kg/day) or equiosmolar saline (CTR) each 2 days up to postnatal day (pnd) 10. On pnd 60, estrous cycle was evaluated using vaginal smears twice a day for 15 days, which showed MSG rats to be oligocyclic. Thereafter, animals were killed on estrous phase for blood and tissue collection. MSG rats had increased body mass, accumulation of retroperitoneal and visceral fat pads, and visceral adipocyte hypertrophy compared with CTR rats. MSG rats were also dyslipidemic and hyperinsulinemic but were normoglycemic and normoandrogenic. Ovarian morphology analysis showed that MSG rats had a two-fold decrease in oocyte count but a six-fold increase on ovarian follicular cysts, along with a higher number of total primordial and atretic follicles. Moreover, MSG rats had a four-fold increase in anti-Müllerian hormone immunohistochemical staining on antral follicles. Taken together, data presented here characterize MSG obesity as a unique model to study the metabolic pathways underlying reproductive disorders in the absence of overactivated hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.