Cocoa intake attenuates renal injury in Zucker Diabetic fatty rats by improving glucose homeostasis

• Published in: Food and chemical toxicology Vol. 127; pp. 101 - 109
• Main Authors: Álvarez-Cilleros, David, López-Oliva, Elvira, Goya, Luis, Martín, María Ángeles, Ramos, Sonia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2019
• Subjects: Animals; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Cacao; Cocoa; Diabetic Nephropathies - metabolism; Diabetic Nephropathies - pathology; Diabetic Nephropathies - physiopathology; Diabetic Nephropathies - prevention & control; Gluconeogenesis; Glucose homeostasis; Glucose tolerance; Homeostasis; Insulin - metabolism; Insulin resistance; Kidney Cortex - enzymology; Kidney Cortex - metabolism; Kidney Cortex - pathology; Kidney Cortex - physiopathology; Male; Monosaccharide Transport Proteins - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Zucker; Renal cortex structural alterations; Signal Transduction; Type 2 diabetic ZDF rats; Glucose tolerance; Insulin resistance; Type 2 diabetic ZDF rats; Glucose homeostasis; Cocoa; Renal cortex structural alterations
• ISSN: 0278-6915; 1873-6351
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2019.03.002

Glucotoxicity (high levels of glucose) is a major factor in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease. Cocoa has anti-diabetic effects by lowering glucose levels. However, whether cocoa exerts beneficial effects on the renal cortex glucose homeostasis and the molecular mechanisms responsible for this possible protective activity remain largely unknown. Thus, the potential anti-diabetic properties of cocoa on insulin signalling, glucose transporters and gluconeogenic enzymes were evaluated in the renal cortex of Zucker Diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. Male ZDF rats were fed a control or cocoa-rich diet (10%), and Zucker Lean animals received the control diet. ZDF rats supplemented with cocoa (ZDF-Co) showed decreased body weight gain, glucose and insulin levels, improved glucose tolerance, insulin resistance and structural alterations in renal cortex. Moreover, cocoa-rich diet ameliorated insulin resistance by reverting decreased tyrosine-phosphorylated-insulin receptor levels and by preventing the inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase-3/glycogen synthase pathway (GSK-3/GS) in the renal cortex of ZDF-Co rats. Cocoa antihyperglycaemic effect also appeared to be mediated through the diminution of phosphoenolpyruvate-carboxykinase (PEPCK), glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase), sodium-glucose-co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2), and glucose-transporter-2 (GLUT-2) levels in ZDF-Co rat's renal cortex. These findings demonstrate that cocoa alleviates renal injury by contributing to maintain the glucose homeostasis in type 2 diabetic ZDF rats.
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•Cocoa intake improves glucose tolerance and alleviates insulin resistance in ZDF rats.•Cocoa-enriched diet protects against structural diabetes-induced changes in the renal cortex of ZDF rats.•Cocoa intake averts the insulin signalling blockage in the renal cortex of ZDF rats.•Cocoa improves the enhanced levels of gluconeogenic enzymes in the renal cortex of ZDF rats.•Cocoa-enriched diet avoids the increased content of glucose transporters in the renal cortex of ZDF rats.