Alternate-Day Modified Fasting Shifts Metabolically Unhealthy Obesity to Metabolically Healthy Obesity in Obese Rats
Description
Alternate-day fasting is an emerging strategy for caloric restriction and treatment of obesity. We aimed to assess the effects of alternate-day modified fasting (ADMF) on adipose tissue dysfunction and hepatic insulin signaling pathway, inflammation, and oxidative stress in diet-induced obesity rats. Wistar male rats (n=18) were divided equally into three groups: control (regular chow), high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD+ADMF groups. Animals underwent assessments of weekly body weight, glucose tolerance tests, serum biochemical markers, and adiponectin, insulin, and leptin were assessed. Hepatic tissue was assessed for 1) insulin receptors and insulin signaling pathway, 2) inflammatory and oxidative profiles, and 3) histopathological changes, and pancreatic tissue was assessed for histopathological changes. In HFD-fed animals, ADMF decreased body weight and improved glucose tolerance. ADMF restored hepatic and adipose tissue insulin sensitivity and ameliorated inflammatory and oxidative stress profiles and histopathological changes in hepatic tissue. ADMF also restored the normal function of adipose tissue. In conclusion, ADMF changes metabolically unhealthy obesity to metabolically healthy obesity despite maintaining a high-fat diet feeding in rats through improving adipose tissue dysfunction and modulation of the hepatic insulin signaling pathway, inflammation, and oxidative stress.