The effects of a high-fat and high-energy diet on the hepatic expression of CYP3A in developing female rats

Age Dependent Effects of Metformin in Wistar Albino Male Rats with Metabolic Syndrome

Background and aims: Comparative estimation of metformin treatment effectiveness in adult and young rats with metabolic syndrome (MS).

Materials and methods: A metabolic syndrome model was induced by full replacement of drinking water with 20% fructose solution in Wistar albino male rats of two age categories (young animals of 21 days age (50-70g) and adults (160-180g)). After 60 days of MS modelling and metformin treatment, hematological, biochemical, blood pressure, chromatin DNA fragmentation investigations, as well as morphological macroscopic and microscopic studies were carried out.

Results: In young rats, effects of metformin on blood clotting time, lipid metabolism and DNA fragmentation were more pronounced. Mature rats showed greater susceptibility to this drug as for influence on pancreas and visceral fat relative weights.

Conclusions: In our experiment with young and adult rats with MS and metformin treatment we showed that this preparation effect was age-dependent for lipid metabolism indices, blood clotting time, nuclear DNA fragmentation parameters, as well as for changes of relative organs weights and target organs morphological structure. Metformin treatment allowed a partial normalization of serum levels of lowdensity lipoproteins (LDLP) and ratio high lowdensity lipoproteins / lowdensity lipoproteins (HDLP/LDLP), hemoglobin contents, hematocrit percentage, DNA fragmentation rates, with simultaneous worsening in blood clotting time, blood pressure levels, liver and pancreas relative organs weights (of young rats).

A high-fat high-energy diet influences hepatic CYP3A expression and activity in low-birth-weight developing female rats

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a high-fat, high-energy (HFHE) diet on the hepatic expression of CYP3A in low-birthweight developing female rats.

METHODS

Pregnant rats were divided into nourished and undernourished groups. The offspring of the nourished rats were defined as the normal-birth-weight (NBW) group, and those of undernourished rats were defined as the low-birth-weight (LBW) group. According to their birth weights and diets, the rats were subdivided into the following four groups: NBW-normal diet (NN) group; NBW-HFHE (NH) group; LBW-normal diet (LN) group; and LBW-HFHE (LH) group. Liver samples were isolated on days 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 56 and 84 after birth.

RESULTS

The CYP3A1 mRNA levels in the LH group on days 3, 56 and 84 were significantly higher than those of the NN group (P<0.05). CYP3A1 expression was significantly higher in the LH group than that in the NH group on days 21, 28 and 84 (P<0.05). CYP3A1 mRNA expression was higher in the LH group than that in the LN group on days 3 and 21 (P<0.05). No zonal CYP3A1 expression pattern was observed in the LH developmental group. The LH group had significantly higher mean activity than the LN group on days 7, 14, 28 and 56.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicated that an HFHE diet can result in alterations of CYP3A expression in a developmental LBW rat model.

Hepatic CYP3A expression and activity in low birth weight developing female rats

BACKGROUND

We aimed to investigate the effects of low birth weight (LBW) on the hepatic expression of cytochrome P-450 3A (CYP3A) in developing female rats.

METHODS

Pregnant rats were divided into two groups, a nourished group and an under-nourished group. The offspring of the nourished rats were defined as a normal weight, normal diet group (NN group). The offspring of the under-nourished rats were designated as a LBW, normal diet group (LN group). CYP3A mRNA expression, protein expression, protein localization and activity were determined.

RESULTS

The CYP3A1 mRNA expression levels of the LN group on days 3, 21, and 56 were significantly higher than those of the same age in the NN group (P≤0.01). The mRNA expression of CYP3A2 in the LN group on day 21 was higher than in rats of the same age in the NN group (P<0.01). The staining intensity and frequency of CYP3A1-positive hepatocytes were significantly lower on days 7 and 21 in the LN group than those of rats of the same age in the NN group (P<0.05). The staining intensity and frequency of CYP3A2-positive hepatocytes on days 14 and 21 were higher in the LN group than those on the same days in the NN group (P<0.05). The mean CYP3A activity of the LN group on day 3 was significantly higher than that of the NN group (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

We found the effect of LBW on CYP3A activity was most prominent during the early days of life in rats. Investigators and clinicians should consider the effect of LBW on CYP3A in both pharmacokinetic study design and data interpretation, when prescribing drugs to LBW infants.