Intermittent fasting benefits on alpha- and beta-cell arrangement in diet-induced obese mice pancreatic islet.

Aims: There is a pancreatic islet adaptation in obese subjects, resulting in insulin resistance and diabetes type 2. We studied the effect of intermittent fasting (IntF) on the islet structure of diet-induced obese (DIO) mice.

Methods: Three-month-old male mice fed a control diet (C, 10% Kcal fat) or a high-fat diet (HF, 50% Kcal fat) for two months (n = 20 each group).

Vitamin D Deficiency Increases Lipogenesis and Reduces Beta-Oxidation in the Liver of Diet-Induced Obese Mice.

The study was conducted to understand better the mechanisms involved in liver changes when there is a combination of diet-induced obesity (DIO) and vitamin D deficiency (VDD). After 8 wk of feeding a control diet (C group) or a high-fat diet (HF), both with vitamin D, and counterpart groups without vitamin D (VitD- groups), we found in plasma: higher alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase in the VitD- groups, and more elevated total cholesterol in the HF group. Compared to their counterparts, HF and HF/VitD- showed hyperinsulinemia and higher hepatic triglycerides and steatosis.

Ovariectomy modify local renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system gene expressions in the heart of ApoE (-/-) mice.

Aims: The evaluation of the local Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone system (RAAS) gene expressions in the heart of ovariectomized (OVX) apolipoprotein E deficient mice (ApoE).

Methods: Four-months old C57BL/6 female mice (wild-type, wt, n=20), and ApoE female mice (n=20), were submitted to OVX or a surgical procedure without ovary removal (SHAM) and formed four groups (n=10/group): SHAM/wt, SHAM/ApoE, OVX/wt, and OVX/ApoE.

Key Findings: OVX led to greater body mass, plasma triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol, and resulted in insulin resistance and altered RAAS gene expressions in the heart tissue.

Adverse effects of vitamin D deficiency on the Pi3k/Akt pathway and pancreatic islet morphology in diet-induced obese mice.

Scope: To investigate the impact of vitamin D deficiency on insulin resistance and abnormal glucose homeostasis in obesity.

Methods And Results: Sixty male C57BL/6 mice (3 months old) were fed a control diet (C-10% energy as fat) or a high-fat diet (HF-50% energy as fat), with or without vitamin D, for 8 weeks. There was no difference in body mass between the HF and HF/VitD- groups.