Effects of cafeteria diet on the jejunum in sedentary and physically trained rats.
OBJECTIVE
The effects of a cafeteria diet on the small intestine were investigated in adult Wistar rats under sedentary conditions and after physical training.


METHODS
Parameters including morphometry, enzyme activities, and total myenteric populations in the jejunum were evaluated.


RESULTS
The cafeteria diet, characterized as hyperlipidic, produced obese rats, corroborated by increases in the Lee index and the weights of the periepididymal and retroperitoneal adipose tissues (P<0.01). Obesity caused increases in the length of the small intestine, villi height, crypt depth, whole-wall thickness (P<0.05), and the enzymatic activities of alkaline phosphatase, lipase, and sucrase (P<0.01), in addition to a reduction in the number of goblet cells (P<0.05). With reference to the jejunal intrinsic innervations, the total number and area of myenteric neurons was unchanged regardless of the group. Physical training promoted 1) a reduction of the weight in the retroperitoneal and periepididymal adipose tissues (P<0.05) and 2) an increase in the thickness of the muscular layer (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The cafeteria diet promoted obesity in rodents, leading to alterations in morphometry and enzymatic intestinal parameters, which were partily attenuated by physical training.
Scoaris
Célia Regina
CR
Department of Morphophysiological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. celiareginabio@hotmail.com
Rizo
Gabriela Vasconcelos
GV
Roldi
Luciana Patrícia
LP
de Moraes
Solange Marta Franzói
SM
de Proença
André Ricardo Gomes
AR
Peralta
Rosane Marina
RM
Natali
Maria Raquel Marçal
MR
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005522:Food Services; D007583:Jejunum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects; D009765:Obesity / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats