Histology and Cell Biology Department, Minia University Faculty of Medicine, Minia, Egypt.
Physiology Department, Minia University Faculty of Medicine, Minia, Egypt.
Int Immunopharmacol. 2022 Feb;103:108465. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.108465. Epub 2021 Dec 21.
Intermittent fasting exerts beneficial effects on most age-related degenerative changes throughout the body. This study aimed to investigate the possible protective effects and mechanism of intermittent fasting on aged liver in male albino rats. Forty male albino rats were used in this study and were divided into four equal groups; Group I served as control ; rats aged 1 month sacrfied when they reached age of 4 month. Group II; rats aged 1 month with intermittent fasting for 3 months. The rats sacrfied when they reached age of 4 mounth Group III; rats aged 15-month fed an ad-libitum diet. The rats sacrified when they reached age of 18 month. Group IV; 15 month rats with intermittent fasting for 3 months. The rats sacrified when they reached age of 18 month. Liver specimens were excised and processed for biochemical, histological, and immunohistochemical study. Blood samples were collected for biochemical study. The result showed a significant increase in liver injury, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers with a marked decrease in the autophagy marker in group III if compared with both group I and II. Additionally, group III showed hepatic vacuolations, cellular filtration, and congestion in both central and portal veins. A highly significant increase in the mean color intensity of positive immunochemical reaction for anti caspase 3 and anti-TNFα as well as a highly significant increase in the surface area fraction of collagen fibers were noticed in group III if compared with group I and II. Interestingly, intermittent fasting (group IV) remarkably reduced the previous alternation that that occurred in group III. It could be concluded that various biochemical, histological, and immunohistochemical alterations were observed in liver rat in group III. Beneficial effects of fasting on these changes were recorded in group IV through its anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic effect as well as its effect in modulating autophagy in aged liver cells. This might open the gate for further research and provide a new line for therapeutic intervention in aged liver. These data lead to speculate that sporadic fasting might represent a simple, safe, and inexpensive means to fight the changes occurred in the aged liver.
间歇性禁食对身体大多数与年龄相关的退行性变化都有有益的影响。本研究旨在探讨间歇性禁食对雄性白化大鼠衰老肝脏的可能保护作用和机制。本研究使用了 40 只雄性白化大鼠，并将它们分为四组，每组 10 只；第 1 组为对照组；1 月龄的大鼠在 4 月龄时处死。第 2 组；1 月龄的大鼠进行间歇性禁食 3 个月。这些大鼠在 4 月龄时处死。第 3 组；15 月龄的大鼠自由进食。这些大鼠在 18 月龄时处死。第 4 组；15 月龄的大鼠进行间歇性禁食 3 个月。这些大鼠在 18 月龄时处死。取出肝脏标本进行生化、组织学和免疫组织化学研究。采集血液样本进行生化研究。结果显示，与第 1 组和第 2 组相比，第 3 组的肝损伤、氧化应激和炎症标志物显著增加，自噬标志物显著减少。此外，第 3 组还出现了肝空泡、细胞过滤和中央静脉和门静脉充血。与第 1 组和第 2 组相比，第 3 组抗 caspase 3 和抗-TNFα 的阳性免疫化学反应的平均颜色强度以及胶原纤维的表面积分数显著增加。有趣的是，间歇性禁食（第 4 组）显著减少了第 3 组发生的上述变化。可以得出结论，第 3 组大鼠肝脏出现了各种生化、组织学和免疫组织化学改变。禁食通过其抗炎、抗凋亡作用以及调节衰老肝细胞自噬的作用，在第 4 组中记录到对这些变化的有益影响。这可能为进一步的研究开辟了道路，并为老年肝脏的治疗干预提供了新的途径。这些数据表明，间歇性禁食可能是一种简单、安全、廉价的方法，可以对抗衰老肝脏中发生的变化。
