Oxidative Stress Parameters are Differentially Regulated in Visceral and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue by Western Diet and Intermittent Fasting

Abstract

The consumption of Western diet, characterized by high sugar and saturated fat content, often leads to weight gain and promotes oxidative stress. Intermittent fasting has emerged as a potential strategy to combat obesity, but its effects on redox homeostasis in white adipose tissue compartments remain unclear. In this study, male Wistar rats were fed a regular or Western diet ad libitum or subjected to an intermittent fasting regimen, consisting of 1-day fasting followed by 2 days of free access to food, over 12 weeks. Elevated superoxide anion levels were observed in visceral adipose tissue of both Western diet-fed groups, independent of the regimen, along with decreased nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activity and increased catalase activity, suggesting an adaptive response to mitigate oxidative stress. In the same tissue, superoxide dismutase activity was reduced, indicating that impaired dismutation might be responsible for the increment of superoxide levels. Intermittent fasting increased the expression of catalase and superoxide dismutase, but this effect was not observed at activity levels. Thus, our data suggest that Western diet impaired the beneficial effect of intermittent fasting on antioxidant activity in visceral adipose tissue. Interleukin-6 mRNA levels were increased by Western diet ad libitum in visceral adipose tissue, but this effect was impaired by intermittent fasting, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect of intermittent fasting. Redox balance in subcutaneous adipose tissue remained unchanged. In conclusion, intermittent fasting alone did not prevent the oxidative stress caused by Western diet in visceral adipose tissue, despite having an anti-inflammatory action.

Keywords

reactive oxygen species (ROS) - adipose tissue - western diet - intermittent fasting - obesity

Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 03. Februar 2025

Angenommen nach Revision: 10. Juni 2025

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
07. Juli 2025

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