Comparative hypocholesterolemic effects of capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris dabbenei) oil, horse oil, and sardine oil in cholesterol-fed rats

Beneficial Effects of Capybara Oil Supplementation on Steatosis and Liver Apoptosis in Obese Mice

Obesity is a complex chronic disease characterized by excess body fat (adipose) that is harmful to health and has been a major global health problem. It may be associated with several diseases, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are lipid mediators that have anti-inflammatory characteristics and can be found in animals and plants, with capybara oil (CO) being a promising source. So, we intend to evaluate the hepatic pathophysiological alterations in C57Bl/6 mice with NAFLD, caused by obesity, and the possible beneficial effects of OC in the treatment of this disease. Eighteen 3-month-old male C57Bl/6 mice received a control or high-fat diet for 18 weeks. From the 15th to the 18th week, the animals received treatment-through orogastric gavage-with placebo or free capybara oil (5 g/kg). Parameters inherent to body mass, glucose tolerance, evaluation of liver enzymes, percentage of hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, the process of cell death with the apoptotic biomarkers (Bax, Bcl2, and Cytochrome C), and the ultrastructure of hepatocytes were analyzed. Even though the treatment with CO was not able to disassemble the effects on the physiological parameters, it proved to be beneficial in reversing the morphological and ultrastructural damage present in the hepatocytes. Thus, demonstrating that CO has beneficial effects in reducing steatosis and the apoptotic pathway, it is a promising treatment for NAFLD.

Capybara Oil Improves Renal Pathophysiology and Inflammation in Obese Mice

Obesity is an inflammatory disease associated with secondary diseases such as kidney disease, which can cause lipotoxicity, inflammation and loss of organ function. Polyunsaturated fatty acids act in the production of lipid mediators and have anti-inflammatory characteristics. In this work, the objective was to evaluate renal histopathology in obese mice and the effects of treatment with capybara oil (CO) (5000 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks). Parameters such as body mass, lipid profile, systolic blood pressure, urinary creatinine and protein excretion, structure and ultrastructure of the renal cortex, fibrosis, tissue inflammation and oxidative stress were analyzed. CO treatment in obese mice showed improvement in the lipid profile and reduction in systolic blood pressure levels, in addition to beneficial remodeling of the renal cortex. Our data demonstrated that CO decreased inflammation, oxidative stress and renal fibrosis, as evidenced by quantifying the expression of TNF-α, IL-10, CAT, SOD, α-SMA and TGF-β. Although treatment with CO did not show improvement in renal function, ultrastructural analysis showed that the treatment was effective in restoring podocytes and pedicels, with restructuring of the glomerular filtration barrier. These results demonstrate, for the first time, that treatment with CO is effective in reducing kidney damage, being considered a promising treatment for obesity.

Capybara Oil Improves Hepatic Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Steatosis, and Inflammation in a Murine Model of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is recognized as the most common cause of liver dysfunction worldwide and is commonly associated with obesity. Evidences suggest that NAFLD might be a mitochondrial disease, which contributes to the hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, cytokine release, and cell death. Capybara oil (CO) is a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which is known to improve inflammation and oxidative stress. In order to determine the effects of CO on NAFLD, C57Bl/6 mice were divided into 3 groups and fed a high-fat diet (HFD) (NAFLD group and NAFLD + CO group) or a control diet (CG group) during 16 weeks. The CO (1.5 g/kg/daily) was administered by gavage during the last 4 weeks of the diet protocol. We evaluated plasma liver enzymes, hepatic steatosis, and cytokine expression in liver as well as hepatocyte ultrastructural morphology and mitochondrial function. CO treatment suppressed hepatic steatosis, attenuated inflammatory response, and decreased plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in mice with NAFLD. CO was also capable of restoring mitochondrial ultrastructure and function as well as balance superoxide dismutase and catalase levels. Our findings indicate that CO treatment has positive effects on NAFLD improving mitochondrial dysfunction, steatosis, acute inflammation, and oxidative stress.

Comparative study of cholinergic and oxidative stress biomarkers in brains of diabetic and hypercholesterolemic rats

Objective:

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypercholesterolemia (HC) when poorly controlled lead to debilitating central nervous system complications including cognitive deficits and memory impairment. In the present study, we investigated the mechanisms that may be responsible for such deficits.

Methods:

Both diabetes and HC were induced in two groups of rats independently using alloxan and high cholesterol diet, respectively.

Results:

Acetyl cholinesterase was significantly increased in brain of diabetic rats. Also, brain malondialdehyde level was extremely elevated in both diabetic and hypercholesterolemic groups. Meanwhile, brain albumin was markedly decreased in both of them. However, the brain iron level was significantly increased in DM with concomitant increase in total antioxidant capacity in the same group as compared to the normal control. The concentration of brain calcium was noticeably increased in HC group. Our results were confirmed by the increased activity of lactate dehydrogenase in both DM and HC groups, indicating major brain cytotoxicity.

Conclusions:

Overall, our results suggested that both DM and HC have deleterious effects on the brain which may be attributed to oxidative stress and dysregulation of both cholinergic function and calcium level. Administration of antioxidant is recommended in both cases.

Evaluation of therapeutic intervention with a natural product in cutaneous wound healing: the use of capybara oil

Capybara oil is commonly used for cutaneous wound healing in traditional South American medicine, although its beneficial effect has never been experimentally proven. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the topical application of capybara oil on skin wounds in Swiss mice. The following characteristics of the wounds were observed and evaluated: wound contraction and reepithelialization, the number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and mast cells, the thickness of the neoepidermis, and the distribution of collagen and elastic fibers. Our study showed that oil extracted from subcutaneous capybara fat was beneficial for wound healing, indicating that capybara oil plays an important role in promoting tissue repair.