Abstract Summary/Description
Adipocytes enlarge in response to high-nutrient balance, such as in the western diet, which stimulates recruitment of macrophages and other immune signaling proteins promoting apoptosis, cell death. Blueberries (BB) contain bioactive compounds that have been reported to favorably modulate the apoptosis signaling cascade. This investigation aimed to examine the effects of BB consumption on mechanisms of adipose tissue apoptosis in mice fed a western-style diet. UM-HET3 male mice were fed either a low-fat, low-sugar, low-salt (LFLSS; n=8), a high-fat, high-sugar, high salt (HFHSS; n=7) or HFHSS combined with 5% w/w freeze-dried BB (HFHSS + BB; n=8) diets for 12 weeks. Whole epidydimal fat pads (eWAT) were collected at sacrifice and Western Blot was used to assess proteins implicated in the intrinsic apoptosis signaling pathway such as B-cell lymphoma-extra-large (BCL-XL), BAX (Bcl-2-associated X protein), caspase-9, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1. There were no differences in absolute or relative eWAT mass (p = 0.5). Compared with LFLSS, there was an increase in BCL-XL expression in HFHSS + BB (1.00 0.35 vs. 1.98 0.71; p = 0.02). The expression of caspase-9 was attenuated in HFHSS + BB compared to both LFLSS and HFHSS, albeit not significantly. No significant differences were observed in the expression of BAX, and MCP-1. Preliminary findings indicate a promising role for BB to protect adipocytes against apoptosis induced by a western diet contributing to overall metabolic and cellular resilience. This may prevent the development and/or delay the progression of metabolic disorders. Further analysis is underway.
