Banca de DEFESA: GRAZIELE DOMINGOS SILVA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : GRAZIELE DOMINGOS SILVA
DATE: 24/02/2026
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Videoconferência
TITLE:

Effects of Opuntia cochenillifera Extract on the Remodeling of Brown Adipose Tissue in a High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity Model

KEY WORDS:

Opuntia cochenillifera. Obesity. Brown Adipose Tissue. Thermogenesis.

 

PAGES: 61
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Morfologia
SUMMARY:

Obesity represents a global public health challenge closely associated with severe metabolic disorders and impairment of brown adipose tissue (BAT), a key organ for thermogenesis. The "whitening" process of BAT, characterized by impaired thermogenesis and lipid accumulation in adipocytes, exacerbates obesity outcomes. In this context, Opuntia cochenillifera extract (EOC), recognized for its antioxidant, antihyperglycemic, and anti-inflammatory properties, emerges as a potential therapeutic agent against obesity and BAT dysfunction. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of EOC on morphofunctional remodeling of the BAT and on metabolic parameters in diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice. Forty animals were divided into four experimental groups (n=10): Control (C), Control + EOC (CP), High-fat (HF), and HF + EOC (HFP). Obesity was induced for 12 weeks, and treatment with EOC (200 mg/kg body mass) was carried out for an additional 8 weeks. The following parameters were analyzed: body mass, food and energy intake, glycemic homeostasis, lipid profile, temperature (thermography); followed by histological, stereological, and molecular analyses of mitochondrial (Pgc1-α, Opa-1), thermogenic (Ucp-1, β3-Ar), and inflammatory (Tnf-α, Il1-beta, and Nrlp3) markers in the BAT. The results demonstrated that EOC exerted an anti-obesogenic and anorexigenic effect, reducing body mass by 24% (p<0.0001) and visceral fat in the HFP group compared to the HF group, in addition to decreasing food and energy intake (-26% and -28%, p<0.0001, respectively). Metabolically, EOC improved glucose tolerance and reduced elevated cholesterol (-46%, p<0.0001) and triacylglycerol (-40%, p<0.0001) levels induced by the HF diet. In BAT, the treatment reversed whitening, restoring multilocular morphology, increasing nuclei density (Qa, +241%, p<0.0001), and restoring temperature. At the molecular level, EOC restored mitochondrial function and thermogenesis, increasing gene expression of Opa-1 (+220%, p<0.001), Pgc1-α (+634%, p<0.0001), β3-Ar (+613%, p<0.0001), and Ucp-1 (+1043%, p<0.001), in addition to reducing the expression of inflammatory genes (Tnf-α, -190%; Il1-beta -306%, and Nrlp3, -133%; p<0.0001). Therefore, Opuntia cochenillifera extract emerges as a promising agent for addressing obesity and its metabolic complications by promoting positive BAT remodeling and exhibiting significant thermogenic and anti-inflammatory potential.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 3357609 - FABIANE FERREIRA MARTINS
Interno - 2859541 - PEDRO PAULO DE ANDRADE SANTOS
Externo ao Programa - 2318723 - SERGIO ADRIANE BEZERRA DE MOURA - UFRNExterno à Instituição - JEYMESSON RAPHAEL CARDOSO VIEIRA - UFPE