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ISSN: 2161-1017
Endocrinology & Metabolic Syndrome
Mohamed and Ashour, Endocrinol Metab Syndr 2016, 5:1
DOI: 10.4172/2161-1017.1000226
Research Article Open Access
Endocrinol Metab Syndr
ISSN: 2161-1017 EMS, an open access journal
Volume 5 • Issue 1 • 1000226
Effect of Obesity on Albino Rat Kidney
Waleed S. Mohamed
1,2*
and Ahamed S. Ashour
3t
1
Internal Medicine Department, Tanta Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt
2
Internal Medicine Department, Taif College of Medicine, Taif University, KSA
3
Anatomy and Embryology Department, Tanta Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt
Abstract
Background and study aim: Obesity and concomitant co-morbidities have emerged as public health problems of
the frst order. Obese individuals have an increased risk for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). The aim of this study is to
study the metabolic and early renal histopathologic changes that are associated with obesity in experimental animals.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on sixty adult male albino rats; thirty with body weight ranging
between 180-200 gm (control) beside thirty rates with body weight more than 250 gm. Control animals were fed a
standard rat chow while obese rats were fed a semisynthetic diet enriched in sucrose. After 4 weeks, blood samples
were collected to assess: Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG), Serum Insulin (SI), serum Total Lipid (TL), serum Triglyceride
(TG), Total Cholesterol (TC), serum High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and serum Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL). Kidney
tissue samples were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin, Anti-Collagen IV antibody then examined by light and
electron Microscope.
Results: There was a signifcant increased Body Weight (BW) and kidneys weight of obese group. There was a
signifcant increased of FBS (p 0.0001), SI (p 0.0001), TL (p 0.0001), TC (p 0.0001), TG (p 0.0001), and LDL (p 0.0043)
with signifcant decreased of HDL (p 0.0133) in obese group. Serum creatinine was signifcantly increased in obese
group with a signifcant positive correlation between it and BW, FBS, SI, and TG. Histological examination revealed
moderately expanded Bowman’s capsule, wide renal tubules, a positive reaction for collagen IV, increased thickness of
glomerular basement membrane, foot processes fusion and many vacuolation in the cells lining of proximal convoluted
tubules of obese rats kidneys.
Conclusions: Obesity is associated with many metabolic abnormalities like insulin resistance, impaired glucose
tolerance, dyslipidemia, morphological and structural renal changes which may proceed to Glomerulosclrosis (GS)
and CKD.
*Corresponding author: Waleed S. Mohamed, Internal Medicine Department,
Tanta Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt, Internal Medicine Department,
Taif College of Medicine, Taif University, KSA, Tel: +966/0553420886; Fax:
+966/27256900; E-mail: wsmohamed1@yahoo.com
Received December 16, 2015; Accepted January 04, 2016; Published January
18, 2016
Citation: Mohamed WS, Ashour AS (2016) Effect of Obesity on Albino Rat Kidney .
Endocrinol Metab Syndr 5: 226. doi:10.4172/2161-1017.1000226
Copyright: © 2016 Mohamed WS, et al. This is an open-access article distributed
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the
original author and source are credited.
Keywords: Chronic kidney disease; Metabolic abnormalities;
Obesity; Renal histological changes
Introduction
Obesity has become a serious global health issue afecting both
adults and children. Te prevalence of overweight and obesity is
approximately 66% in the United States [1]. Over the last two decades,
a worldwide rise in obesity has resulted in 1.46 billion overweight
(Body Mass Index (BMI] >25) and 502 million obese (BMI >30) adults
[2]. Obesity potentially leads to a decrease in overall life expectancy
[3]. Te metabolic syndrome a major consequence of obesity [4]. Te
prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in the United States is 23% in
those who are 20 year or older and 40% in those who are 60 year or
older [5]. Te metabolic syndrome is defned as the presence of at
least three of the following criteria, with or without diabetes: central
obesity (waist circumference in men 102 cm and in women 88 cm),
hypertriglyceridemia (150 mg/dl), low HDL cholesterol (men 40
mg/dl, women 50 mg/dl), elevated fasting glucose (110 mg/dl), and
hypertension (130/85 mmHg) [6]. A central feature of the metabolic
syndrome is insulin resistance, which results in hyperglycemia
and hyper-insulinemia, and eventually leads to the development of
diabetes [7]. Chronic infammation is another feature of the metabolic
syndrome, which, together with insulin resistance, results in complex
metabolic derangements [8].
Obesity has deleterious efects on metabolic homeostasis, and
afects numerous body organs. Co-morbidities for obesity include
type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, hepatic steatosis,
Alzheimer’s disease, CKD and certain cancers [9,10]. Obesity was
shown to afect independently the progression of preexisting renal
diseases, such as IgA nephropathy, [11] patients with unilateral renal
agenesis, [12] or afer unilateral nephrectomy [13]. Kidneys obtained
from obese donors were more likely to exhibit a lower Glomerular
Filtration Rate (GFR] and a higher rate of allograf dysfunction over
several years than kidneys obtained from lean individuals [14]. Tese
data suggest that obesity contributes to and perhaps even initiates CKD.
Published data quantifying the real impact of obesity on renal function
are defcient. Some studies revealed a link between variable degrees
of proteinuria and obesity [15]. Clinically, patients may present with
nephrotic syndrome [13].
Praga et al. [16] reported the absence of features of nephrotic
syndrome despite heavy proteinuria in 15 obese patients. Te
histopathologic changes founded in a proteinuric obese patient consist of
glomerulomegaly with or without Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis
(FSGS). Tese patients tend to have less podocyte injury and a more
indolent progression than patients with idiopathic FSGS [15]. Te
changes are thought to be related to altered renal hemodynamics,
namely increased renal blood fow, hyper-fltration, and increased
fltration fraction [17]. However, it is likely that these observations are
somewhat biased as renal biopsies are usually obtained only in patients
with proteinuria. Terefore, obesity-related glomerulopathy may not
be the only histopathologic feature of obesity-related renal disease,
particularly in non-proteinuric obese patients. Hence, the aim of this