Sex differences in subcutaneous adipose tissue redox homeostasis and inflammation markers in control and high fat diet fed rats

The development of obesity related-metabolic disorders is more evident in male in comparison to female subjects, but the mechanisms are unknown. Several studies have shown that oxidative stress is involved in the pathophysiology of obesity, but the majority of them were performed in male animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sex-related differences in the subcutaneous adipose tissue redox homeostasis and inflammation of rats chronically fed a high fat diet. NADPH oxidase (NOX), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities were evaluated in the subcutaneous adipose tissue (SC) of adult male and female rats fed either a standard chow (SCD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 11 weeks. NOX2 and NOX4 mRNA levels, total reduced thiols, as well as IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 were also determined. Higher antioxidant enzyme activities and total reduced thiol levels were detected in SC of control male compared to female rats. Chronic HFD administration increased NADPH oxidase a...