Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of cacao polyphenol（CP） intake on liver and kidney tissue in obese type 2 diabetes model rats. Five-week-old male obese type 2 diabetes model rats were fed for 4 weeks. The experimental diet consisted of a high-fat diet (control group, n=6) and a CP-supplemented diet (CP group, n=6). Liver lipids concentration and oxidative stress were measured in liver tissue. The control group had many lipid droplets of various sizes, but the CP group had almost no lipid droplets. In kidney tissue, the control group had a slightly wider Bowman's space and lobulated glomeruli. In the CP group, the glomeruli were almost normal in size, and there was little increase in mesangial cells and matrix. When CP was administered to obese type 2 diabetes model rats, the liver cholesterol concentration and oxidative stress were reduced (p<0.01, p<0.01). It was also suggested that cocoa polyphenols suppress fat accumulation in liver tissue and damage to mesangial cells in kidney tissue. These results suggest that cocoa polyphenol intake may suppress the early stages of obesity-related type 2 diabetic nephropathy and may be useful in preventing obesity and diabetes.
