Efeito da ingestão de glúten sobre a massa corporal, a ingestão alimentar e os perfis lipídico e glicêmico de ratos

Abstract

Gluten is the protein component of wheat, barley and rye and is largely present in food due to increased consumption of refined carbohydrates. It has been described several types of gluten hypersensitivity with different kind of inflammatory and immunologic mechanisms, signals and symptoms. From these considerations, the present study aims to evaluate the effect of gluten on lipid profile, fasting glucose and insulin, body mass gain and food intake of rats. The animals were divided into three groups (n = 18), fed on a gluten free (AIN 93-G) diet (controls) or AIN 93- G modified diet with 15% or 30% of gluten as a protein source (G15 and G30, respectively), during one, two and four weeks. Measurements of food intake and body mass were performed by each two days and the blood and white adipose tissue (WAT) collected in the end of the treatment. There were no differences in body mass gain, WAT, food intake, cholesterol, non HDL–c, HDL–c, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR (p > 0.05). In contrast, rats fed on a 15% and 30% gluten diet show an increase in fasting glucose after one (G30 p<0.001), two and four (G15 and G30 p<0.001) weeks, as well as in triglycerides levels after one (p<0.01), two (p<0.001) and four (p<0.005) weeks in comparison to the control group. We concluded that gluten intake increases the glucose and triglycerides levels in rats, without changing weight gain, white adipose tissue, insulin, HOMA- IR, cholesterol, HDL- c, non HDL-c and food intake.