Assessing the impact of oleuropein on dyslipidemia in male rats subjected to D-galactose-induced aging: A preliminary study

Abstract

Aging unfolds as a complex process marked by numerous physiological and biochemical transformations. These age-related changes intricately influence tissues, cells, and subcellular organelles, thereby impacting metabolic functions. Dyslipidemia, characterized by elevated triglyceride (TAG) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) levels coupled with diminished high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) levels, stands as a well-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which increases with age. The regulation of lipoprotein metabolism relies upon various proteins, notably peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α). In this study, we sought to elucidate the potential of oleuropein in addressing dyslipidemia associated with aging through a preliminary analysis of liver and plasma samples to assess lipid profiles. Our study included control, D-galactose-treated (aged) (150 mg/kg), and oleuropein (200 mg/kg) pretreated aged groups. The rat plasma levels of TAG, total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C and LDL-C were assessed using their respective kits. Liver tissues were homogenized with PBS at a ratio of 1:9 and PPAR-α levels were assessed using the PPAR-α Elisa kit. D-galactose induced aging resulted in significant increase in plasma TAG, TC, LDL-C (p<0.05) and decrease in plasma HDL-C (p<0.05) and liver PPAR-α (p<0.001) levels. However, oleuropein pretreatment mitigated these affects in the oleuproein+D-galactose group resulting in statistically lower levels of TAG, TC and LDL-C levels (p<0.05) and higher levels of liver PPAR-α (p<0.05) compared to the aged group. Collectively, our study highlights oleuropein's potential as a PPAR agonist in maintaining liver PPAR-α levels, regulating plasma lipid levels, and improving dyslipidemia in aging individuals.

Keywords

• Aging
• dyslipidemia
• oleuropein
• peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha