Abstract:
Context: Stress disturbs metabolic processes. Vitamin-D3 and alpha-lipoic-acid (ALA) are known by their bone mineralizing and antioxidant effect respectively, with some metabolic effects.
Objective: Elucidate the effect of Vitamin-D3 and ALA on metabolic responses to chronic stress and clarify their underlying mechanism(s).
Materials and Methods: 40 adult local strain albino male rats were randomly allocated into Control, Stressed, Vitamin-D3- and ALA-treated stressed groups. Rats were subjected to determination of anthropometric, glycemic parameters, lipid profile, Malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), nitrites, insulin, leptin, testosterone, estrogen. Also, histopathological study and immunohistochemistry for caspase-3 of pancreatic tissue were performed.
Results: Upon vitamin-D3 and ALA treatment, fasting plasma glucose and glucose output by kidneys, lipid profile, estrogen and caspase-3 area% were reduced, while glucose uptake by diaphragm, HOMA-B and testosterone were elevated when comparted with stressed group. Only ALA showed significantly elevated TAC and insulin when compared with stressed rats. Insignificant changes were shown between the treated groups, except for reduced testosterone and elevated estrogen in ALA-treated.
Conclusion: Both treatments are effective in amelioration of glycemic and lipidemic derangements induced by chronic stress by restoration of normal sex hormones pattern, antioxidant, more prominent with ALA, and antiapoptotic effects.