Analysis of changes in hepatic gene expression and tissue architecture of heart and kidney in association with diet-induced obesity in Rattus norvegicus

Abstract

Obesity is an epidemic issue associated with low-grade inflammation and in most of the cases with poor iron condition that influences nearly every community. The present research experiment was designed to inspect the consequences of obesity on the micro architecture of heart and kidney tissues as well as on the expression of mRNA of some hepatic genes like Hepcidin, Transferrin and TNF-α in association with their role in iron regulation and proinflammatory responses in the body. Two tentative groups of Rattus norvegicus (each supplied with different proportions of fat in their food) and one control group were analysed. After a period of sixteen weeks, the rats were dissected and their organs, liver, heart and kidneys, were excised and preserved accordingly. Histological analysis of heart tissues of obese rats showed hemorrhagic condition along with interstitium widening and interstitial inflammatory condition (myocarditis) and also necrosis of some myocardial fibers. Microanalysis of kidney tissues of obese rats showed glomerular distortion, glomerular basement membrane thickening and enlargement of Bowman’s capsule along with mesangial expansion. mRNA expressional studies of some hepatic genes of the obese rats showed significant elevation in the expression of hepicidin (P-value < 0.001) and TNF-α (P-value < 0.001) and at the same time significant decline in the expression of transferrin (P-value < 0.001) was also observed as compared to the control group. Taken together, from these findings it can be concluded that fatty diet induces many changes in the cellular architecture of heart and kidney as well as in the expression of hepatic genes involved in iron regulation (Hepcidin and transferrin) and proinflammatory responses (TNF-α).