Metabolic and ultrastructural renal changes in adult Wistar rats fed by a cafeteria diet

TL;DR

This study shows that a high-fat, high-sugar diet in rats leads to kidney changes, including a thinner glomerular basement membrane and metabolic issues like hyperglycemia.

Contribution

The study links cafeteria diet intake to specific glomerular ultrastructural changes and metabolic alterations in adult rats.

Findings

A cafeteria diet caused glucose intolerance and hyperglycemia in Wistar rats.

The diet reduced the thickness of the glomerular basement membrane.

Retroperitoneal fat deposition increased in cafeteria diet-fed rats.

Abstract

To evaluate, by quantitative and qualitative methods, the glomerular ultrastructure in Wistar rats fed a cafeteria diet.

Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups at 21 days of age: control (C, n = 10) and cafeteria diet (CAF, n = 8). The animals were followed up until 5 months of age, followed by euthanasia. The blood, kidneys, and fat deposits––epididymal, retroperitoneal, and subcutaneous––were extracted and analyzed. Data were analyzed by Student’s t test, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The cafeteria diet promoted glucose intolerance, hyperglycemia (p < 0.0001), and deposition of retroperitoneal fat (p < 0.005). Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the length of the foot process was similar in both groups. The quantitative analyses by transmission electron microscopy revealed that the cafeteria diet reduced the thickness of the glomerular basement membrane (p < 0.05).

The intake of lipids and simple carbohydrates were found to be associated with alteration in the glomerular ultrastructure. However, more studies are needed to evaluate not only the effects of high-protein and high-fat diets on components of the glomerular filtration barrier, but also renal physiology.

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