Abstract Summary/Description
Hyperglycemia is a key risk factor for metabolic disorders. Western diet, rich in fats and sugars, increases the risk of metabolic disorders and oxidative stress. Blueberry (BB) polyphenols may help manage hyperglycemia via their antioxidant properties. Therefore, this study examines the impact of BB supplementation on glucose metabolism and hepatic oxidative stress in mice consuming a Western diet. Four-week-old UM-HET3 male mice were assigned to a control (low-fat, low-sucrose, low-salt, LFLSS) alone or supplemented with 5% BB (LFLSS + BB) for four weeks. Then, LFLSS either continued with that intervention or were randomized to HFHSS while LFLSS + BB was switched to HFHSS + BB (5% w/w) for 12 weeks. Insulin (ITT) and glucose tolerance tests (GTT) were performed at weeks 14 and 15, respectively. Liver was collected at sacrifice for protein expression analysis of oxidative stress markers by Western Blot. Normality was examined using Shapiro-Wilk test. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis followed by the appropriate posthoc test. No significant difference was observed for ITT or GTT across all the groups. HFHSS decreased expression of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GPx)-1, GPx-3 and superoxide dismutase (SOD)2, though not significantly. BB significantly increased GPx-1 expression compared to the HFHSS group but had no effect on GPx-3. BB numerically attenuated the HFHSS-induced decrease in SOD2, however. Our preliminary findings indicate that consuming a BB-rich diet may attenuate hepatic oxidative stress. Further analysis is ongoing.
