Mediterranean and western diets differentially modulate cellular aging, oxidative stress, and inflammation in rats: a...

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Mediterranean and Western diet models on telomere length, oxidative stress, inflammatory markers, and total hippocampal cell count in rats.

Twenty-one male Sprague - Dawley rats (8 weeks old) were randomly assigned to Control, Mediterranean, and Western diet groups (n = 7 per group). Following an eight-week specific dietary intervention, telomere lengths were measured by PCR, biochemical parameters (oxidative stress and inflammation) by ELISA and colorimetric methods, and hippocampal cell counts using the isotropic fractionator.

The Western diet group exhibited significantly higher body weight and BMI compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Telomere length was significantly longer in the Mediterranean diet group compared to the Western diet group (p < 0.05). Regarding inflammatory markers, TNF- α levels were significantly higher, whereas IL- 10 levels were significantly lower in the Western diet group compared to the Mediterranean group. Additionally, hippocampal cell counts were significantly reduced in the Western diet group. Dietary intake of omega- 3 and resveratrol was positively associated with telomere length.

The Mediterranean diet appears to protect telomere integrity and hippocampal cell survival by mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation. Conversely, the Western diet accelerates molecular aging markers. These findings highlight the translational potential of dietary composition in modulating cellular senescence.