The Effects of Quercetin Administration on Heart Tissue and Serum Parameters in the Rats with Experimental Obesity

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the therapeutic effect of Quercetin on the cardiac effect caused by obesity in rats with experimental obesity using biochemical and histological methods. In this study, 24 male Sprague Dawley rats were used. The rats were divided into three groups control, obese, and Quercetin-Obese. While high-fat diet was administrated to the obese groups for 3 months, the other groups were fed with normal pellet forage. After the formation of obesity, Quercetin dissolved in 1 ml corn oil was orally given to the quercetin-obese and quercetin groups at the dose of 50 mg/kg for 15 days. As for the obese group, corn oil was orally given 1 ml a day for 15 days. Following the study, all the animals were sacrificed by taking blood under anesthesia, and their heart tissues were taken. In the obtained serum samples, the levels of triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (COL), HDL, LDL, and troponin-I (TROP-I) were measured by the auto-analyzer device. The heart tissues were stained with Bax and Bcl-2 antibodies as immuno-histochemical. When the results of the analysis were compared among the control and other groups, it was established that obesity increased the levels of serum TG, KOL, LDL, and TROP-I whereas quercetin administration had a decreasing effect on these parameters (P<0.05). It was determined that the level of Serum HDL decreased in the obese group while quercetin administration increased the level of HDL (P<0.05). It was detected in the analysis of stereological immuno-histochemical Bax and Bcl-2 positive cells that the apoptotic cell density increased in the heart tissues of the obese group while quercetin administration decreased the apoptotic cell density (P<0.05). It has been determined that Quercetin may have a therapeutic effect in avoiding cardiac injuries caused by obesity.