Role of Obestatin in Improvement of Obesity-Induced Metabolic and Kidney Function Changes in Exercised Rats

Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.

^*Corresponding Author

Dr. Khaled Abdelfattah Abulfadle

Physiology Department,

Faculty of Medicine,

Zagazig University,

Egypt

E-mail: khafadle@gmail.com

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a common health problem which may be caused by feeding a high fat diet (HFD) and has caused many complications including metabolic and kidney function changes. On the other hand, obestatin is an adipokine that was found to be expressed also in the kidney and decrease body weight of obese rats. Also, moderate exercise training was suggested to improve obesity and minimize its complications, but, the exact mechanism was not well understood.

Aim: To investigate the obesity-induced metabolic and kidney function changes in exercised rats and clarify the potential role of obestatin.

Material and Methods: 48 male albino rats of local strains were randomly divided into two groups (I and II). Group I (lean group, n=24) included group IA (sedentary group, n=8), group IB (exercised group, n=8), and, group IC (obestatin treated group, n=8). Group II [obese, high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, n=24] was formed of group IIA (obese Sedentary, n=8), group IIB (obese exercised, n=8), and, group IIC (obese obestatin treated, n=8). At the end of experimental period, blood samples were obtained and allowed to clot at room temperature before centrifugation to obtain serum that was stored at -20°C for biochemical assessment. 

Results: Obese groups (sedentary, exercised and obestatin treated) had a significant increase in body mass index (BMI), adiposity %, serum [glucose, insulin, C-peptide, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), creatinine, urea and K⁺], urinary [Na⁺, total protein and albumin], homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and urine volume, with a significant decrease in serum [obestatin, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), Na⁺, total protein and albumin] and urinary (creatinine and K⁺) and creatinine clearance in the same groups. On the other hand, obese exercised and obese obestatin treated groups showed a significant reduction in BMI, adiposity %, serum (glucose, insulin and C-peptide, TC, TG, LDL, CRP, TNFa creatinine, urea and K⁺), urinary (Na⁺, total protein, albumin) and urine volume, with a significant increase in serum (obestatin, HDL, Na⁺, total protein and albumin) and urinary (creatinine and K⁺) and creatinine clearance in the same groups. Within the obese sedentary and obese exercised groups, serum obestatin was negatively associated with BMI, atherogenic index, serum (glucose, insulin, TC, TNFa, creatinine and urea), HOMA-IR, and urinary Na⁺, but, it was positively associated with Homeostatic Model Assessment of beta cell function (HOMA-B), urinary K⁺ and creatinine clearance.

Conclusion: Moderate exercise training improved both metabolic and kidney function changes that occurred with HFD-induced obesity through its anti-inflammatory effect and increasing obestatin secretion.

Keywords: Obesity, Exercise training, Obestatin, Kidney function.

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