EGG WHITE HYDROLYSATE PROTECTS WHITE ADIPOSE TISSUE AGAINST METABOLIC INSULT IN DOCA-SALT RATS.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an egg white hydrolysate (EWH) to protect white adipose tissue damage from cardiometabolic changes induced by severe hypertension. Male Wistar rats were uninephrectomized and divided: SHAM (weekly subcutaneous vehicle [mineral oil + propylene glycol, 1:1]), SHAM+EWH (subcutaneous vehicle plus EWH via gavage, 1g/kg/day), DOCA (deoxycorticosterone acetate diluted in vehicle subcutaneously weekly in subsequent doses of 20mg/kg -1st week, 12mg/kg - 2nd -3th week, and 6mg/kg -4-8th week, respectively, plus 1% NaCl and 0.2% KCl in drinking water), and DOCA+EWH. Body weight gain, food and water intake, glucose, and lipid metabolism were evaluated. Oxidative stress was assessed by biochemical assay and immunofluorescence for NOX-1, NFκB, and caspase-3 in retroperitoneal white adipose tissue (rtWAT). Pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and 1β), CD163+ macrophage infiltration, and immunohistochemistry for TNFα and UCP-1 were evaluated, as well as histological analysis on rtWAT. Glutathione peroxidase and reductase were also determined in plasma. EWH showed hypocholesterolemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties in the arterial hypertension DOCA-salt model. The results demonstrated the presence of functional changes in adipose tissue function by a decrease in macrophage infiltration and in the fluorescence intensity of NFκB, NOX-1, and Caspase-3. A reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and restoration of antioxidant enzymatic activity and mitochondrial oxidative damage by reducing UCP-1 fluorescence intensity were also observed. EWH could be used as a potential alternative therapeutic strategy in the treatment of cardiometabolic complications associated to malignant secondary arterial hypertension.