ESPE Abstracts

Aim: This experimental study is to investigate the effects of excessive fructose consumption on body weight, omental fat, insulin resistance, lipid profile and lipid peroxidation.

Materials-Methods: In this study, 18 mature, albino, male Sprague Dawley rats (aged 8 weeks, weighing 200–220 g) were included in our study. They were fed ad libitum, housed in pairs in steel cages, and kept in a temperature-controlled environment (22°C ± 2°C) with 12-h light/dark cycles. In the experimental group, 9 male Sprague Dawley albino mature rats were fed with water containing 30% fructose without restriction for 8 weeks. In the control group, 9 Sprague Dawley rats were given a normal diet. Blood samples were taken from the tail veins after 8 hours of fasting and biochemical parameters were studied. After 8 weeks of inducing liver injury, a hepatectomy was performed for histopathological examination in the control and experimental groups. Liver pathology was determined according to the degree of steatosis (the percentage of liver cells containing fat): <25% = 1+, 25%–50% = 2+, 51%–75% = 3+, >75% = 4+; inflammation and necrosis: 1 focus per low-power field = 1+; and 2 or more foci= 2+.

Results: Levels of circulating triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol and free fatty acids were significantly lower in rats in the contol group than those in the experimental group (TG: 74.40 ± 8.18 against 96.20 ± 6.68 mg/dl; P = 0.03, TC: 145.20 ± 20.54 against 188.40 ± 18.66 mg/dl; P = 0.04, LDL: 112.5 ± 10.25 against 125.70 ± 12.85 mg/dl; P = 0.04, FFA: 514.64 ± 44.46 against 625.60 ± 56.24 μEq/L; P = 0.02. In the control group, no signs of steatosis or inflammatory infiltration were observed in the hepatocytes. However, severe fat accumulation and mild inflammation were detected in rats in the experimental group. Rats in the experimental group had significantly higher mean histopathological scores than those in the control group (6.74±0.30 and 2.04±0.12, P <0.03). Rats in the experimental group presented a significantly different lipid peroxidation compared with those in the control group (0.284 ± 0.060 nmol MDA/mg ve 0.112 ± 0.012 nmol MDA/mg, P <0.02).

Conclusion: Excessive consumption of fructose (corn syrup) in the diet has harmful effects on insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, liver function and lipid peroxidation. Since oxidative damage plays an important role in this process, excessive consumption of fructose might cause oxidative stress related diseases associated with cardiovascular diseases.