Grape juice concentrate modulates p16 expression in high fat diet-induced liver steatosis in Wistar rats

Abstract

Purpose: The goal of this study was to investigate whether subchronic treatment with grape juice concentrate is able to protect the liver from high fat diet injury in rats. The effects of grape juice concentrate treatment on histopathological changes, and immunohistochemistry for p53, p16 and p21 were evaluated.

Methods: Male Wistar rats (n = 18) were distributed into three groups: group 1: negative control; group 2: cholesterol at 1% (w/w) in their diet, treated during 5 weeks; and group 3: cholesterol at 1% in their chow during 5 weeks, and grape juice concentrate at 222 mg per day in their drinking-water in the last week only.

Results: The results pointed out that treatment with grape juice concentrate did not show remarkable differences regarding liver tissue in the cholesterol-exposed group when compared to group 2. However, grape juice concentrate was able to modulate p16 immunoexpression when compared to high fat diet group. p53 and p21 did not show any significant statistical differences among groups.

Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest that subchronic grape juice concentrate administration was able to modulate cell cycle control by downregulation of p16 immunoexpression in high fat diet-induced liver steatosis in rats.

Keywords::

• Cholesterol diet
• rats
• grape juice
• p53
• p16
• p21

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Telma E. A. do Nascimento from the Hexalab/Unisantos for her technical assistance.

Declaration of interest

This work was supported by FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico). DAR is a recipient of the CNPq fellowship. JN is a recipient of the CAPES fellowship.