Fructose-rich diet and walnut supplementation differently regulate rat hypothalamic and hippocampal glucose transporters expression

BACKGROUND Nutritional modulations may be considered a strategy to protect mental health. Neuronal homeostasis is highly dependent on the availability of glucose, which represents the primary energy source for the brain. In this study, we evaluated the effects of walnut intake and fructose-rich diet on the expression of glucose transporters (GLUTs) in two rat brain regions: hypothalamus and hippocampus. RESULTS Our results show that walnut supplementation of fructose-fed animals restored the hypothalamic content of GLUT1 and GLUT3 protein. Furthermore, walnut intake did not affect increased hypothalamic GLUT2 content upon fructose consumption. These effects were accompanied by distinctive alterations of hippocampal GLUTs levels. Specifically, walnut intake increased GLUT1 content, whereas GLUT2 protein was decreased within the rat hippocampus after both individual and combined treatments. CONCLUSION Overall, our study suggests that walnut supplementation exerted modulatory effects on the glucose transporters within specific brain regions in the presence of developed metabolic disorder. (c) 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Automated summary

The study found that walnut intake restored the levels of GLUT1 and GLUT3 proteins affected by fructose-rich diet in the hypothalamus of rats, while showing distinct effects in the hippocampus.