Fructooligosaccharide supplementation alleviates obesity-related kidney injury in a high-fat diet rat model

Kidney injury is a common complication of obesity. This study evaluated the protective effect of the prebiotic fructooligosaccharide (FOS) on kidney injury in a high-fat diet-induced obese rat model. Obese rats exhibited increased body weights, elevated lipid profiles, decreased plasma lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), elevated kidney malondialdehyde (MDA), increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and histopathological damage. They also show reduced nephrin expression and upregulated mRNA levels of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and renin. Supplementation with 10% FOS significantly reduced body weight and triglyceride levels, restored plasma LBP, decreased kidney MDA levels, and enhanced SOD activity. FOS also prevented the upregulation of KIM-1 and renin mRNA and restored nephrin expression. These findings suggest that FOS mitigates obesity-induced kidney injury, supporting its potential as a preventive nutritional intervention.