Trends in Gliosis in Obesity, and the Role of Antioxidants as a Therapeutic Alternative

Abstract

Obesity remains a global health problem. Chronic low-grade inflammation in this pathology has been related to comorbidities such as cognitive alterations that, in the long term, can lead to neurodegenerative diseases. Neuroinflammation or gliosis in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus has been related to the effect of adipokines, high lipid levels and glucose, which increase the production of free radicals. Cerebral gliosis can be a risk factor for developing neurodegenerative diseases, and antioxidants could be an alternative for the prevention and treatment of neural comorbidities in obese patients. Aim: Identify the immunological and oxidative stress mechanisms that produce gliosis in patients with obesity and propose antioxidants as an alternative to reducing neuroinflammation. Method: Advanced searches were performed in scientific databases: PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCO, and the Science Citation index for research on the physiopathology of gliosis in obese patients and for the possible role of antioxidants in its management. Conclusion: Patients with obesity can develop neuroinflammation, conditioned by various adipokines, excess lipids and glucose, which results in an increase in free radicals that must be neutralized with antioxidants to reduce gliosis and the risk of long-term neurodegeneration.

Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice develop neurodegeneration, age-dependent astrogliosis and obesity-induced changes in microglia immunophenotype which are partly reversed by complement component 5 neutralizing antibody

“…When Ldlr-/-.Leiden mice were fed an obesity-inducing HFD, these pathological features remained. Neurodegeneration and astrogliosis are key features of obesity-related brain histopathology as described in both humans and mice (Thaler et al, 2012;Guillemot-Legris and Muccioli, 2017;Bondan et al, 2019;Bandala et al, 2022). In this study, neurodegeneration was prominently observed in the thalamus.…”

“…This process, known as astrogliosis, is characterized by an extensive synthesis of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) (Eng and Ghirnikar, 1994;Sofroniew, 2009). In both humans and rodents, obesity-induced astrogliosis was notably shown in the hypothalamus, as well as other parts of the brain such as the cortex and the hippocampus (Thaler et al, 2012;Guillemot-Legris and Muccioli, 2017), which is also accompanied by an increase in GFAP immunoreactivity (Guillemot-Legris and Muccioli, 2017;Bondan et al, 2019;Bandala et al, 2022). Obesity-related astrogliosis has been associated with neuroinflammation, which is characterized by microglia activation.…”

Effect of Obesity and Osteocalcin on Brain Glucose Metabolism in Healthy Participants

“…They explained that this positive association between BMI and brain glucose metabolism might be due to neuroinflammation and astrogliosis [ 8 ]. Indeed, obesity is known to be related to gliosis [ 20 , 21 ], and several studies have reported that higher astrocytic reactivity is related to higher F-18 FDG uptake [ 22 , 23 ]. These conflicting results may be explained by sex.…”

Obesity and the nervous system

“…Он возникает при ожирении и в основном происходит в гипоталамусе, вызывая потерю нейронов в медиобазальном гипоталамусе, который широко связан с инфундибулярным ядром или аркуатным ядром гипоталамуса, ответственным за функции, связанные с весом и энергетическим гомеостазом. В этих структурах мозга расположены нейроны, отвечающие за энергетический баланс, продуцирующие ПОМК, агути белок и НПY [20].…”