Articolo in rivista, 2023, ENG, 10.3390/nu15020475

Fructose Diet-Associated Molecular Alterations in Hypothalamus of Adolescent Rats: A Proteomic Approach

Chiara D'Ambrosio, Luisa Cigliano, Arianna Mazzoli, Monica Matuozzo, Martina Nazzaro, Andrea Scaloni, Susanna Iossa and Maria Stefania Spagnuolo

Institute for the Animal Production System in the Mediterranean Environment, National Research Council,80055 Portici, Italy Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80121 Naples, Italy

The enhanced consumption of fructose as added sugar represents a major health concern. Due to the complexity and multiplicity of hypothalamic functions, we aim to point out early molecular alterations triggered by a sugar-rich diet throughout adolescence, and to verify their persistence until the young adulthood phase. Methods: Thirty days old rats received a high-fructose or control diet for 3 weeks. At the end of the experimental period, treated animals were switched to the control diet for further 3 weeks, and then analyzed in comparison with those that were fed the control diet for the entire experimental period. Results: Quantitative proteomics identified 19 differentially represented proteins, between control and fructose-fed groups, belonging to intermediate filament cytoskeleton, neurofilament, pore complex and mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes. Western blotting analysis confirmed proteomic data, evidencing a decreased abundance of mitochondrial respiratory complexes and voltage-dependent anion channel 1, the coregulator of mitochondrial biogenesis PGC-1?, and the protein subunit of neurofilaments ?-internexin in fructose-fed rats. Diet-associated hypothalamic inflammation was also detected. Finally, the amount of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its high-affinity receptor TrkB, as well as of synaptophysin, synaptotagmin, and post-synaptic protein PSD-95 was reduced in sugar-fed rats. Notably, deregulated levels of all proteins were fully rescued after switching to the control diet. Conclusions: A short-term fructose-rich diet in adolescent rats induces hypothalamic inflammation and highly affects mitochondrial and cytoskeletal compartments, as well as the level of specific markers of brain function; above-reported effects are reverted after switching animals to the control diet.

Nutrients 15 (2), pp. 475–?

Keywords

proteomics, hypothalamus, fructose-rich diet, adolescence, mitochondria, inflammation

CNR authors

Matuozzo Monica, Scaloni Andrea, Spagnuolo Maria Stefania, D Ambrosio Chiara

CNR institutes

ISPAAM – Istituto per il sistema produzione animale in ambiente Mediterraneo