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Potential Protective Effect of Vitamin D on Cardiac Extrinsic pathways of apoptosis in Male Rats Fed with high fat diet

Author(s): Khadeejah Mesaid Al-Solami, Zainab Al-refaie, Hossam Awad, Mahmood Rasool

Background: Obesity and vitamin D deficiency are increasing in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in last decades. Researchers have shown a relation between both disorders and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The present work aimed to investigate the possible protective effect of vitamin D on cardiac apoptosis in rats fed with a high fat diet. Methods: This study included 30 male wistar rats and was divided in four groups. One group fed standard diet [control (C)], second group fed standard diet with vitamin D, third group fed hypercaloric diets [obese (Ob], and fourth group fed hypercaloric diets with vitamin D, for 22 weeks. The weight and length were measured to assess BMI and repeated every 45 days. Food intake and body weight were monitored. Heart tissues were collected for Quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to detect different genetic markers of apoptosis (FAS, FAS-L). Results: A significant increase in FAS, FAS-L gene expression in rats fed with high fat diet was found. Conclusion: The cardiac Extrinsic pathways of apoptosis were activated in rats fed with high fat diet. It was found that vitamin D protects the heart from the cardiac Independent pathways of apoptosis.