Beneficial effects of high-fiber diet on the expression and level of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 of hypercholesterolemia rats

Hypercholesterolemia triggered by high-fat and high-fructose diets increases Reactive Oxygen Species production, causing oxidative stress and increasing the expression of Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in endothelial cells as a form of inflammatory response. High-fiber diet could restrict lipolysis in adipose tissue, decreasing the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines while indirectly decreasing the expression of ICAM-1. METHODS: The research analyzed beneficial effects of high-fiber diet divided into five groups: normal (N); hypercholesterolemia (HC); HC + 1.04 g fiber/rat/day (HFD1); HC + 2.07 g fiber/rat/day (HFD2) and HC + 3.11 g fiber/rat/day (HFD3) for 6-weeks intervention on the level and expression of ICAM-1 in rats induced by high-fat and high-fructose diets. RESULTS: The administration of a high-fiber diet reduced the levels of ICAM-1 plasma hypercholesterolemia rats (HFD1, HFD2 and HFD3) when compared with the hypercholesterolemia group (p <  0.001) without fiber administration. In addition, the administration of a high-fiber diet also decreased ICAM-1 gene expression in rat adipose tissue when compared with the hypercholesterolemia group (p <  0.05). The decreased plasma levels of ICAM-1 were not correlated with the reduced ICAM-1 gene expression in rat adipose tissue after administration of a high-fiber diet. CONCLUSIONS: The high-fiber diet administration was able to decrease expression and level of ICAM-1 in hypercholesterolemia rats induced by high-fat and high-fructose diets