The Effects of Saturated and Unsaturated Fat Diets on the Histology of Adrenocortical Cells of Albino Rats A Comparative Study

Abstract

Objectives: High fat diet stimulates Hypothalamic -pituitary- adrenal (HPA)axis activity and enhances the release 
of corticosteroids from adrenal gland which in turn contributes to metabolic syndrome by producing insulin 
resistance. Present study objectives are to compare the effects of two different types of fat that is saturated and 
polyunsaturated on the histology of adrenal gland with respect to its activity. 
Study Design: Prospective experimental. 
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Anatomy BMSI, JPMC August – October: 2008 
Materials and Methods: A total of 30 adult male albino rats weighing 200-240 gm, aged 190 days were divided 
into three groups. group ‘A’ received standard laboratory diet and group ‘B’ received high saturated fats in the form 
of unsalted butter as 20% added fat of the total calories. Group ‘C’ received high unsaturated fats in diet i.e. 20% fat 
added in the form of corn oil of the total calories. Each group was subdivided according to their time of sacrifice i.e. 
4 and 8 weeks respectively. Animals were sacrificed at the end of their respective periods by ether anesthesia. 
Adrenal glands were dissected out, weighed and processed for paraffin embedding and sectioned at 4µm thickness 
to be stained with H&E, for cell count and cell diameter in the 3 cortical zones.  
Result: Observations on adrenal gland weight /100gm of body weight of butter and corn oil treated groups revealed 
moderately significant decrease in weight in corn oil treated group at 4 weeks while there was insignificant 
difference at 8weeks when compared to butter treated group. There was insignificant difference in cell count in the 
three zones between butter and corn oil treated groups. Cell diameter in zona fasciculata was significantly increased 
in butter treated groups at 8weeks when compared to corn oil treated group. 
Conclusion: Insignificant differences were found in most of the observation between the 2 fat groups. Insignificant 
difference in adrenal gland weight /100gm body weight between butter and corn oil treated groups at 8 weeks was 
because of less marked increase in body weight in corn oil treated group. Zona fasciculata showed increase cell size 
in butter treated group reflecting increased stress hormone release.