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. 2019 Sep 26:18:eAO4876.
doi: 10.31744/einstein_journal/2020AO4876. eCollection 2020.

Sericin as treatment of obesity: morphophysiological effects in obese mice fed with high-fat diet

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Affiliations

Sericin as treatment of obesity: morphophysiological effects in obese mice fed with high-fat diet

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Regina Inês Kunz et al. Einstein (Sao Paulo). .

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effects of sericin extracted from silkworm Bombyx mori cocoon on morphophysiological parameters in mice with obesity induced by high-fat diet.

Methods: Male C57Bl6 mice aged 9 weeks were allocated to one of two groups - Control and Obese, and fed a standard or high-fat diet for 10 weeks, respectively. Mice were then further subdivided into four groups with seven mice each, as follows: Control, Control-Sericin, Obese, and Obese-Sericin. The standard or high fat diet was given for 4 more weeks; sericin (1,000mg/kg body weight) was given orally to mice in the Control-Sericin and Obese-Sericin Groups during this period. Weight gain, food intake, fecal weight, fecal lipid content, gut motility and glucose tolerance were monitored. At the end of experimental period, plasma was collected for biochemical analysis. Samples of white adipose tissue, liver and jejunum were collected and processed for light microscopy analysis; liver fragments were used for lipid content determination.

Results: Obese mice experienced significantly greater weight gain and fat accumulation and had higher total cholesterol and glucose levels compared to controls. Retroperitoneal and periepididymal adipocyte hypertrophy, development of hepatic steatosis, increased cholesterol and triglyceride levels and morphometric changes in the jejunal wall were observed.

Conclusion: Physiological changes induced by obesity were not fully reverted by sericin; however, sericin treatment restored jejunal morphometry and increased lipid excretion in feces in obese mice, suggesting potential anti-obesity effects.

Objetivo: Investigar os efeitos da sericina extraída de casulos de Bombyx mori na morfofisiologia de camundongos com obesidade induzida por dieta hiperlipídica.

Métodos: Camundongos machos C57Bl6, com 9 semanas de idade, foram distribuídos em Grupos Controle e Obeso, que receberam ração padrão para roedores ou dieta hiperlipídica por 10 semanas, respectivamente. Posteriormente, os animais foram redistribuídos em quatro grupos, com sete animais cada: Controle, Controle-Sericina, Obeso e Obeso-Sericina. Os animais permaneceram recebendo ração padrão ou hiperlipídica por 4 semanas, período no qual a sericina foi administrada oralmente na dose de 1.000mg/kg de massa corporal aos Grupos Controle-Sericina e Obeso-Sericina. Parâmetros fisiológicos, como ganho de peso, consumo alimentar, peso das fezes em análise de lipídios fecais, motilidade intestinal e tolerância à glicose foram monitorados. Ao término do experimento, o plasma foi coletado para dosagens bioquímicas e fragmentos de tecido adiposo branco; fígado e jejuno foram processados para análises histológicas, e amostras hepáticas foram usadas para determinação lipídica.

Resultados: Camundongos obesos apresentaram ganho de peso e acúmulo de gordura significativamente maior que os controles, aumento do colesterol total e glicemia. Houve hipertrofia dos adipócitos retroperitoneais e periepididimais, instalação de esteatose e aumento do colesterol e triglicerídeos hepáticos, bem como alteração morfométrica da parede jejunal.

Conclusão: O tratamento com sericina não reverteu todas as alterações fisiológicas promovidas pela obesidade, mas restaurou a morfometria jejunal e aumentou a quantidade de lipídios eliminados nas fezes dos camundongos obesos, apresentando-se como potencial tratamento para a obesidade.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: none.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Body weight changes. Graph displaying body weight changes (A) and feed intake (B), and photographic images of the inner aspect of the abdominal cavity of C57Bl6 mice (C)
Figure 2
Figure 2. Analysis of bowel transit time and fecal parameters. Bowel transit time (A), fecal weight (B), fecal lipid content (C)
Figure 3
Figure 3. Results of the oral glucose tolerance test. Glucose values during the oral glucose tolerance test (A), area under curve of oral glucose tolerance test (B)
Figure 4
Figure 4. Fat tissue morphometry and morphology. Retroperitoneal (A) and periepidydimal (B) adipocyte area; photomicrographs of mice retroperitoneal (C) and periepidydimal (D) fat tissues; hematoxylin and eosin stain
Figure 5
Figure 5. Liver morphology and hepatic lipid analysis. Liver weight (A), hepatic cholesterol (B) and triglyceride (C) analysis; hepatic steatosis classification (D), photomicrographs of mice liver; hematoxylin and eosin stain (E)
Figura 1
Figura 1. Evolução do peso corporal. Gráfico da evolução do peso corporal (A) e consumo alimentar (B), e fotografias da cavidade abdominal aberta de camudongos C57Bl6 (C)
Figura 2
Figura 2. Análise do trânsito intestinal e parâmetros fecais. Teste de trânsito intestinal (A), peso das fezes (B), quantidade total de lipídios fecais (C)
Figura 3
Figura 3. Resultado do teste oral de tolerância à glicose. Valores de glicemia durante o teste oral de tolerância à glicose (A), área sob da curva do teste oral de tolerância à glicose (B). Resultados expressos em média±erro padrão da média (n=7/grupo). Anova Two Way e pós-teste de Tukey
Figura 4
Figura 4. Morfometria e morfologia do tecido adiposo. Área dos adipócitos retroperitoneais (A) e periepididimais (B) fotomicrografias do tecido adiposo retroperitoneal (C) e periepididimal (D) de camundongos, coloração com hematoxilina e eosina
Figura 5
Figura 5. Morfologia hepática e análise lipídica do fígado. Peso do fígado (A), análise do colesterol (B), e triglicerídeos (C) hepáticos; classificação de esteatose hepática (D), fotomicrografias do fígado de camundongos e coloração com hematoxilina e eosina (E)

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