A Low-Fat/Sucrose Diet Rich in Complex Carbohydrates Reverses High-Fat/Sucrose Diet-Induced Corneal Dysregulation

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 24; no. 2; p. 931
• Main Authors: Akowuah, Prince K, Lema, Carolina, Rumbaut, Rolando E, Burns, Alan R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 04.01.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Abrasion; Adipose tissue; Age; Animals; Blood platelets; Carbohydrates; Cornea; Corneal Injuries - etiology; Diabetes; Diet; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Glucose; High fat diet; high-fat/sucrose diet; Hyperglycemia; Immunofluorescence; Inflammation; Insulin resistance; Leukocytes (neutrophilic); Liver; Low fat; Low fat diet; macronutrient; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Nerves; Neutrophils; Nutrient deficiency; Obesity; Obesity - etiology; platelets; Sucrose; Sucrose - pharmacology; Wound healing; high-fat/sucrose diet; macronutrient; cornea; neutrophils; obesity; platelets
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms24020931

High-fat/sucrose diet feeding in mice causes loss of corneal nerve function and impairs corneal wound healing. While changing to a diet with a low fat/sugar composition and enrichments in complex carbohydrates mitigates the reduction in nerve function, it remains to be determined if it has an effect on corneal wound healing. In this study, 6-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were fed either a normal diet or a high-fat/sucrose diet for 20 weeks. A third group (diet reversal) was placed on a high-fat/sucrose diet for 10 weeks followed by a normal diet for an additional 10 weeks. A central corneal epithelial abrasion wound was created, and wound closure was monitored. Neutrophil and platelet recruitment was assessed by immunofluorescence microscopy. Mice fed the high-fat/sucrose diet-only had greater adiposity (p < 0.005) than normal diet-only fed mice; diet reversal markedly reduced adiposity. Following corneal abrasion, wound closure was delayed by ~6 h (p ≤ 0.01) and, at 30 h post-wounding, fewer neutrophils reached the wound center and fewer extravascular platelets were present at the limbus (p < 0.05). Diet restored normal wound closure and neutrophil and platelet influx in the injured cornea. These data suggest compositional changes to the diet may be an effective diet-based therapeutic strategy for maintaining or restoring corneal health.