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VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENTATION ALLEVIATES LIPID DYSMETABOLISM AND PROTECTS MUSCLES FROM CORTISOL AND HIGH-FAT DIET EFFECTS IN WISTAR RATS

IULIA IOANA STĂNESCU SPÎNU 1#, ANDREEA-CONSUELA TIMNEA-FLORESCU 2#, OLIVIA TIMNEA 3*, BOGDANA VÎRGOLICI 4, HORIA VÎRGOLICI 4, ADRIANA DINU 5, ELVIRA GAGNIUC 6,7

1 Faculty of Dentistry, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
2 “Grigore Alexandrescu” Children’s Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
3 “Româno-Americană” University, Faculty of Sports and Kinetotherapy, Department of Physiology, Bucharest, Romania
4 Faculty of General Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
5 Centre Hospitalier Joséphine Baker Gonesse, Gonesse Cedex, France
6 Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest
7 Synevovet Laboratory, Bucharest, Romania

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An obesogenic diet disrupts metabolic balance, while cortisol intensifies these effects by triggering dyslipidaemia, hyperglycaemia, and insulin resistance. Vitamin E is recognized for its antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory properties. This study evaluated whether vitamin E supplementation – either as soft capsules or encapsulated in Poly(Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid) nanoparticles (PLGA-NPs) – could counteract glucocorticoid-induced adverse effects in muscles. Adult male Wistar rats were fed an obesogenic diet and orally administered prednisone (1 mg/kg/day) for six weeks, with or without vitamin E (1 mg/kg/day) delivered in capsule or PLGA-NP form. CD8a antibodies were used to identify CD8+ T cells as markers of inflammation, while perilipin TIP47 antibodies assessed lipid droplet metabolism in cardiac and gastrocnemius muscle tissues. Vitamin E supplementation significantly decreased serum triglycerides and transaminase activity, showing comparable efficacy between delivery systems. Vitamin E administration in rats exposed to an obesogenic diet and prednisone preserved metabolic and antioxidant balance, reduced inflammation, and maintained muscle structure. Encapsulation of vitamin E in PLGA-NPs provided a more pronounced anti-inflammatory benefit than the soft gel capsules.