Potential role for vitamin D vs. intermittent fasting in controlling aquaporin-1 and aquaporin-3 expression in HFD-induced urinary bladder alterations in rats

Hend M Hassan; Randa El-Gamal; Walaa H E Hamed; Ola Ali Habotta; Mervat Samy; Rasha Elmowafy; Eman Mohamed ElNashar; Mansour Abdullah Alghamdi; Rashid A Aldahhan; Khulood Mohammed Al-Khater; Mohammed A Alshehri; Magda E Ahmed

doi:10.3389/fmolb.2023.1306523

Potential role for vitamin D vs. intermittent fasting in controlling aquaporin-1 and aquaporin-3 expression in HFD-induced urinary bladder alterations in rats

Front Mol Biosci. 2024 Jan 22:10:1306523. doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1306523. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
² Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, New Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
³ Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
⁴ Medical Experimental Research Centre (MERC), Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
⁵ Department of Medical Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University and New Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
⁶ Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
⁷ Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
⁸ Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
⁹ Genomics and Personalized Medicine Unit, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
¹⁰ Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
¹¹ Nephrology Section, Internal Medicine Department, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Background: High-fat diet-induced obesity is linked to suppression of aquaporins (AQPs) expression in different tissues. Both vitamin D and intermittent fasting were identified to enhance AQPs expression. In the urinary bladder, AQP-1 and AQP-3 mRNA transcripts were identified. Vitamin D has an impact on a variety of genes that encode proteins that control cell proliferation, differentiation, and death. Aim: To assess potential benefits of vitamin D and intermittent fasting (IF) and to explore alterations to the urinary bladder triggered by high-fat diet (HFD) in a rat model of obesity. Methods: Each of the 4 groups contained six adult male albino rats; control: a standard rodent chew for 12 weeks, HFD: HFD and fructose were administered orally via gastric gavage for 12 weeks, and vitamin D: HFD and fructose were administered orally for 8 weeks, then 4 weeks of intraperitoneal injection of vitamin D (5 microns/Kg/2 days) and IF group: Received intraperitoneal injections of vitamin D (5 microns/Kg/2 days) for 4 weeks after consumption of HFD and fructose orally for 8 weeks. The serum lipid profile was conducted at end of the experiment. In the bladder homogenates, the levels of oxidative stress indicators were assessed. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed on recently collected bladder samples. AQP-1 and AQP-3 immunohistochemistry was done. Results: When compared to the HFD group, the vitamin D and IF groups both demonstrated a substantial improvement in histopathological, immunohistochemical, biochemical, and molecular markers. Conclusion: In all examined parameters, IF exceeded vitamin D as a preventive factor for the urinary bladder deterioration.

Keywords: AQP-1; AQP-3; high-fat diet; intermittent fasting and vitamin D; urinary bladder.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University for funding this work through the large group research project under grant number RGP2/291/44.