Blueberry Consumption Challenges Hepatic Mitochondrial Bioenergetics and Elicits Transcriptomics Reprogramming in Healthy Wistar Rats
Sara Nunes,
Sofia D. Viana,
Inês Preguiça,
André Alves,
Rosa Fernandes,
João S. Teodoro,
Artur Figueirinha,
Lígia Salgueiro,
Sara Silva,
Ivana Jarak,
Rui A. Carvalho,
Cláudia Cavadas,
Anabela P. Rolo,
Carlos M. Palmeira,
Maria M. Pintado,
Flávio Reis
Affiliations
Sara Nunes
Institute of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics & Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Sofia D. Viana
Institute of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics & Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Inês Preguiça
Institute of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics & Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
André Alves
Institute of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics & Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Rosa Fernandes
Institute of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics & Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
João S. Teodoro
Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology (FCTUC), University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
Artur Figueirinha
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Lígia Salgueiro
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Sara Silva
CBQF—Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina—Laboratório Associado, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
Ivana Jarak
Department of Microscopy, Laboratory of Cell Biology and Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine (UMIB), Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
Rui A. Carvalho
Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology (FCTUC), University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
Cláudia Cavadas
Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
Anabela P. Rolo
Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology (FCTUC), University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
Carlos M. Palmeira
Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology (FCTUC), University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
Maria M. Pintado
CBQF—Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina—Laboratório Associado, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
Flávio Reis
Institute of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics & Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
An emergent trend of blueberries’ (BB) “prophylactic” consumption, due to their phytochemicals’ richness and well-known health-promoting claims, is widely scaled-up. However, the benefits arising from BB indiscriminate intake remains puzzling based on incongruent preclinical and human data. To provide a more in-depth elucidation and support towards a healthier and safer consumption, we conducted a translation-minded experimental study in healthy Wistar rats that consumed BB in a juice form (25 g/kg body weight (BW)/day; 14 weeks’ protocol). Particular attention was paid to the physiological adaptations succeeding in the gut and liver tissues regarding the acknowledged BB-induced metabolic benefits. Systemically, BB boosted serum antioxidant activity and repressed the circulating levels of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB) ketone bodies and 3-HB/acetoacetate ratio. Moreover, BB elicited increased fecal succinic acid levels without major changes on gut microbiota (GM) composition and gut ultra-structural organization. Remarkably, an accentuated hepatic mitochondrial bioenergetic challenge, ensuing metabolic transcriptomic reprogramming along with a concerted anti-inflammatory pre-conditioning, was clearly detected upon long-term consumption of BB phytochemicals. Altogether, the results disclosed herein portray a quiescent mitochondrial-related metabolomics and hint for a unified adaptive response to this nutritional challenge. The beneficial or noxious consequences arising from this dietary trend should be carefully interpreted and necessarily claims future research.