Effects of cafeteria diet on the jejunum in sedentary and physically trained rats

Scoaris, Célia Regina; Rizo, Gabriela Vasconcelos; Roldi, Luciana Patrícia; de Moraes, Solange Marta Franzói; de Proença, André Ricardo Gomes; Peralta, Rosane Marina; Natali, Maria Raquel Marçal

doi:10.1016/j.nut.2009.04.012

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Volume 26, Issue 3 , Pages 312-320, March 2010

Effects of cafeteria diet on the jejunum in sedentary and physically trained rats

Célia Regina Scoaris, M.D.
- Department of Morphophysiological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +55-44-3261-4704; fax: +55-44-3222-8866.
Gabriela Vasconcelos Rizo, M.D.
- Department of Morphophysiological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
Luciana Patrícia Roldi, M.D.
- Department of Morphophysiological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
Solange Marta Franzói de Moraes, Ph.D.
- Department of Morphophysiological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
André Ricardo Gomes de Proença, M.Sc.
- Department of Morphophysiological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
Rosane Marina Peralta, Ph.D.
- Department of Biochemistry, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
Maria Raquel Marçal Natali, Ph.D.
- Department of Morphophysiological Sciences, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil

Received 4 December 2008; accepted 15 April 2009. published online 10 August 2009.

Abstract

Objective

The effects of a cafeteria diet on the small intestine were investigated in adult Wistar rats under sedentary conditions and after physical training.

Methods

Parameters including morphometry, enzyme activities, and total myenteric populations in the jejunum were evaluated.

Results

The cafeteria diet, characterized as hyperlipidic, produced obese rats, corroborated by increases in the Lee index and the weights of the periepididymal and retroperitoneal adipose tissues (P<0.01). Obesity caused increases in the length of the small intestine, villi height, crypt depth, whole-wall thickness (P<0.05), and the enzymatic activities of alkaline phosphatase, lipase, and sucrase (P<0.01), in addition to a reduction in the number of goblet cells (P<0.05). With reference to the jejunal intrinsic innervations, the total number and area of myenteric neurons was unchanged regardless of the group. Physical training promoted 1) a reduction of the weight in the retroperitoneal and periepididymal adipose tissues (P<0.05) and 2) an increase in the thickness of the muscular layer (P<0.05).

Conclusion

The cafeteria diet promoted obesity in rodents, leading to alterations in morphometry and enzymatic intestinal parameters, which were partily attenuated by physical training.

Keywords: Cafeteria diet, Intestinal morphometry, Jejunum, Myenteric neurons, Obesity, Physical training