Obesity is a global health problem even among pregnant women. Obesity alters quality of labor, such as preterm labor, prolonged labor, and higher oxytocin requirements in pregnant women. The most important factors to play a role in the altered gestational period and serve as drug targets to treat the consequences are female sexual hormones, calcium channels, adrenergic system, oxytocin, and prostaglandins. However, we have limited information about the impact of obesity on the pregnant uterine contractility and gestation time. Adipose tissue, which is the largest endocrine and paracrine organ, especially in obesity, is responsible for the production of adipokines and various cytokines and chemokines, and there are no reliable data available describing the relation between body mass index, glucose intolerance, and adipokines during pregnancy. Recent data suggest that the dysregulation of leptin, adiponectin, and kisspeptin during pregnancy contributes to gestational diabetes mellitus and pre-eclampsia. A preclinical method for obese pregnancy should be developed to clarify the action of adipokines and assess their impact in obesity. The deeper understanding of the adipokines-induced processes in obese pregnancy may be a step closer to the prevention and therapy of preterm delivery or prolonged pregnancy. Gestational weight gain is one of the factors that could influence the prenatal development, birth weight, and adiposity of newborn.
AimTo compare cardiometabolic risk-related biochemical markers and sexual hormone and leptin receptors in the adrenal gland of rat males, non-ovariectomized females (NON-OVX), and ovariectomized females (OVX) under chronic stress.MethodsForty six 16-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into male, NON-OVX, and OVX group and exposed to chronic stress or kept as controls. Weight, glucose tolerance test (GTT), serum concentration of glucose, and cholesterol were measured. Adrenal glands were collected at the age of 28 weeks and immunohistochemical staining against estrogen beta (ERβ), progesterone (PR), testosterone (AR), and leptin (Ob-R) receptors was performed.ResultsBody weight, GTT, serum cholesterol, and glucose changed in response to stress as expected and validated the applied stress protocol. Stressed males had significantly higher number of ERβ receptors in comparison to control group (P = 0.028). Stressed NON-OVX group had significantly decreased AR in comparison to control group (P = 0.007). The levels of PR did not change in any consistent pattern. The levels of Ob-R increased upon stress in all groups, but the significant difference was reached only in the case of stressed OVX group compared to control (P = 0.033).ConclusionChronic stress response was sex specific. OVX females had similar biochemical parameters as males. Changes upon chronic stress in adrenal gland were related to a decrease in testosterone receptor in females and increase in estrogen receptor in males.
AimTo estimate the impact of high fat diet and estrogen deficiency on the oxidative and antioxidative status in the liver of the ovariectomized rats, as well as the ameliorating effect of physical activity or consumption of functional food containing bioactive compounds with antioxidative properties on oxidative damage in the rat liver.MethodsThe study was conducted from November 2012 to April 2013. Liver oxidative damage was determined by lipid peroxidation levels expressed in terms of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), while liver antioxidative status was determined by catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR) activities, and glutathione (GSH) content. Sixty-four female Wistar rats were divided into eight groups: sham operated and ovariectomized rats that received either standard diet, high fat diet, or high fat diet supplemented with cereal selenized onion biscuits or high fat diet together with introduction of physical exercise of animals.ResultsHigh fat diet significantly increased TBARS content in the liver compared to standard diet (P = 0.032, P = 0.030). Furthermore, high fat diet decreased the activities of CAT, GR, and GST, as well as the content of GSH (P < 0.050). GPx activity remained unchanged in all groups. Physical activity and consumption of cereal selenized onion biscuits showed protective effect through increased GR activity in sham operated rats (P = 0.026, P = 0.009), while in ovariectomized group CAT activity was increased (P = 0.018) in rats that received cereal selenized onion biscuits.ConclusionFeeding rats with high fat diet was accompanied by decreased antioxidative enzyme activities and increased lipid peroxidation. Bioactive compounds of cereal selenized onion biscuits showed potential to attenuate the adverse impact of high fat diet on antioxidative status.
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