Deuterium-Depleted Water as Adjuvant Therapeutic Agent for Treatment of Diet-Induced Obesity in Rats

Abstract

In this study, we present the potential application of deuterium-depleted water (DDW) for the prevention and adjuvant treatment of obesity in rats. We tested the hypothesis that DDW can alleviate diet-induced obesity (DIO) and its associated metabolic impairments. Rats fed a high-fat diet had an increased body weight index (BWI), glucose concentration, and level of certain proinflammatory cytokines; decreased levels of insulin in the serum; decreased tryptophan and serotonin in the brain, and a decreased concentration of some heavy metals in the liver. Drinking DDW at a concentration of 10 ppm deuterium/protium (D/H) ad libitum for 3 weeks restored the BWI, glucose (serum), tryptophan (brain), and serotonin (brain) levels and concentration of Zn in the liver in the DIO animals to those of the controls. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IFNγ) and anti-inflammatory TNFα were decreased in DIO rats, while anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-4, IL-10) levels remained at the control levels, which is indicative of a pathophysiological syndrome. In contrast, in groups of rats treated with DDW, a significant increase in anti-inflammatory (IL-4, IL-10) and proinflammatory cytokines (IFNγ) was observed. This finding indicates a reduction in systemic inflammation in obese animals treated with DDW. Similarly, the high-fat diet caused an increased level of oxidative stress products, which was accompanied by decreased activity of both superoxide dismutase and catalase, whereas the administration of DDW decreased the level of oxidative stress and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities.Molecules 2020, 25, 23 2 of 15 the development of new, safer and more effective pharmaceutical approaches for obesity treatment is essential.Natural water is a mixture of molecules containing stable isotopes 16 O, 17 O, 18 O, 1 H, and 2 H. The ratio of deuterium atoms to protium (D/H) in fresh and marine water is 132-156 µg/g (ppm) [7,8].Since the mass of protium H is half of the mass of deuterium D, effects arising from the replacement of isotopes influence biological systems; for example, the rates of chemical reactions between substances containing these isotopes may differ by a factor of 5-10 [9-11].Numerous publications over the last 20 years have been devoted to the study of the role of deuterium in natural (150 ppm) or reduced content in the human body [12]. It has been shown that deuterium-depleted water (DDW) exhibits antidotal properties with individual and combined effects on the dosage of pharmaceutical substances and auxiliary substances [13][14][15][16]. The mechanisms of such influence are due to the structure, physicochemical properties of DDW [17] and changes in ligand-receptor interactions in biological objects of different hierarchical levels [18]. DDW increases the rate of photosynthesis and promotes the growth of plants and aquatic animals [19,20]. In Europe, the USA, Japan, China and Russia, DDW is used for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes [21,22]. Currently, DDW is using as an adjuvant in cancer treatment ...

Effect of the deuterium on efficiency and type of adipogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells in vitro

“…In further experiments on laboratory animals, it is necessary to study the effect of low concentrations of deuterium on the functioning of various fat depots in various physiological and pathological situations (stress, high-fat diet, etc.) 83,84 .…”

Dependence of Biocatalysis on D/H Ratio: Possible Fundamental Differences for High-Level Biological Taxons

“…Earlier studied the metabolism of the symbiotic organism medusomycetes (tea fungus) and the influence of D 2 O on its development [ 51 ]. Recent studies on the effects of low concentrations of deuterium on rats and mice show that the organism accelerates its metabolism [ 43 , 52 , 53 , 54 ]. In this regard showed that one could use ddw water to test inhibitors of de novo lipogenesis (DNL) by performing back-to-back studies in higher species, treat nonhuman primates with platensimycin, an inhibitor of fatty acid synthase [ 55 ].…”

Comparative Analysis of the Different Dyes’ Potential to Assess Human Normal and Cancer Cell Viability In Vitro under Different D/H Ratios in a Culture Medium

“…is could be considered as the so-called shock (functional) effect [28,[36][37][38][39] when the culture is transferred from one growth medium to another. However, redistribution of deuterium and protium in intracellular structures probably leads to a gradual adaptation of the culture to the new D/H isotope ratio.…”