Abstract
Background
Obesity is associated with insulin resistance, type2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases. Apelin and chemerin are identified as adipokines and adipose tissue markers. Several adipose-derived peptides are known to influence food intake, including apelin, whose expression is regulated by insulin and chemerin. Oxidative stress thought to be involved in the development of complications associated with obesity.
Objective
To study the nature of correlation between serum and liver levels of apelin, chemerin and oxidative parameters in obese rats with and without antioxidant. Aiming to clarify the pathophysiology of obesity.
Material and Methods
Thirty adult male albino rats, divided into three equal groups.
Group I (control), group II (obese) and group III (obese and Lepidium sativum (LS) as an antioxidants). At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected for estimation of the serum levels of chemerin, apelin, fasting glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (IR), lipid profile, reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA). In addition to tissue homogenous extracts of liver were taken for the levels of MDA, CAT, chemerin and apelin.
Results
After eight weeks, high fat diet group showed a significant increase in serum levels of apelin, chemerin, fasting glucose, insulin, IR, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) & MDA and a significant decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) & GSH. HFD also caused a significant increase in tissue levels of MDA, CAT & chemerin and a significant decrease in apelin, compared to control group.
While addition of LS to HFD caused a significant decrease in serum levels of apelin, chemerin, fasting glucose, insulin, IR, TC, TG, LDL-C & MDA and a significant increase in HDL-C & GSH. LS also caused a significant decrease in tissue levels of MDA, chemerin & insignificant decrease in CAT and a significant increase in apelin, compared to HFD group.
Conclusion
This study showed a significant positive correlation between liver & serum chemerin and between liver and serum MDA. On the other hand, it showed a significant negative correlation between liver and serum apelin and liver CAT and serum GSH