{"title":"Coconut oil reduces steroidogenic enzymes and imbalances estrogen receptors in the adrenal cortex of Mongolian gerbils.","authors":"Vitor Grigio, Luiz Henrique Alves Guerra, Thalles Fernando Rocha Ruiz, Sebastião Roberto Taboga, Patrícia Simone Leite Vilamaior","doi":"10.1016/j.fct.2025.115248","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aims to verify the effects of prolonged ingestion of coconut oil on the adrenal glands of Mongolian gerbils. Mongolian gerbils were used as an experimental model due to the morphological similarity of the adrenal glands to those of primates. Male Mongolian gerbils, 3 months of age, were divided into three experimental groups (n = 12): an intact control group, which received no treatment, a gavage control group, which received 0.1 ml of water daily by gavage, and a coconut oil-treated group, which received 0.1 ml of coconut oil daily for 12 months. The results showed that prolonged consumption of coconut oil caused an increase in cell area and thickness of the zona reticularis and the accumulation of lipid droplets, as well as reducing the amount of steroidogenic enzymes, such as CYP17, 3BHSD, and 17BHSD. It was also observed that the oil increased the expression of estrogen receptor alpha and their isoforms. These alterations allow us to conclude that changes in the lipid diet can cause alterations in the morphophysiology of the adrenal gland and, consequently, impact its functionality.</p>","PeriodicalId":317,"journal":{"name":"Food and Chemical Toxicology","volume":" ","pages":"115248"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Food and Chemical Toxicology","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2025.115248","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study aims to verify the effects of prolonged ingestion of coconut oil on the adrenal glands of Mongolian gerbils. Mongolian gerbils were used as an experimental model due to the morphological similarity of the adrenal glands to those of primates. Male Mongolian gerbils, 3 months of age, were divided into three experimental groups (n = 12): an intact control group, which received no treatment, a gavage control group, which received 0.1 ml of water daily by gavage, and a coconut oil-treated group, which received 0.1 ml of coconut oil daily for 12 months. The results showed that prolonged consumption of coconut oil caused an increase in cell area and thickness of the zona reticularis and the accumulation of lipid droplets, as well as reducing the amount of steroidogenic enzymes, such as CYP17, 3BHSD, and 17BHSD. It was also observed that the oil increased the expression of estrogen receptor alpha and their isoforms. These alterations allow us to conclude that changes in the lipid diet can cause alterations in the morphophysiology of the adrenal gland and, consequently, impact its functionality.
期刊介绍:
Food and Chemical Toxicology (FCT), an internationally renowned journal, that publishes original research articles and reviews on toxic effects, in animals and humans, of natural or synthetic chemicals occurring in the human environment with particular emphasis on food, drugs, and chemicals, including agricultural and industrial safety, and consumer product safety. Areas such as safety evaluation of novel foods and ingredients, biotechnologically-derived products, and nanomaterials are included in the scope of the journal. FCT also encourages submission of papers on inter-relationships between nutrition and toxicology and on in vitro techniques, particularly those fostering the 3 Rs.
The principal aim of the journal is to publish high impact, scholarly work and to serve as a multidisciplinary forum for research in toxicology. Papers submitted will be judged on the basis of scientific originality and contribution to the field, quality and subject matter. Studies should address at least one of the following:
-Adverse physiological/biochemical, or pathological changes induced by specific defined substances
-New techniques for assessing potential toxicity, including molecular biology
-Mechanisms underlying toxic phenomena
-Toxicological examinations of specific chemicals or consumer products, both those showing adverse effects and those demonstrating safety, that meet current standards of scientific acceptability.
Authors must clearly and briefly identify what novel toxic effect (s) or toxic mechanism (s) of the chemical are being reported and what their significance is in the abstract. Furthermore, sufficient doses should be included in order to provide information on NOAEL/LOAEL values.