High-Carbohydrate Diets Affect Accumulation of Lipofuscin-Like Pigment in the Kidneys of Mice and Rats: Autofluorescence Confocal Microscopy Analysis

Abstract

The accumulation of lipofuscin-like granules in liver, kidneys, and spleen cells in mice and rats of different lines receiving 30% sugar solutions (fructose, glucose, their mixture, and sucrose) in addition to balanced semisynthetic diet for 62 or 122 days was studied by the method of laser scanning confocal microscopy. The granules were detected by their autofluorescence at maximum λ_ex =570-600 nm and λ_ex=488 nm. In the kidneys of rats receiving glucose and, especially, the mixture of glucose and fructose, significant accumulation of lipofuscin-like granules was found that was absent in the control group animals receiving water. Intensive accumulation of the granules was observed in the kidneys of all groups of mice receiving sugars (except for glucose). Lipofuscin-like granules were located in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells of the distal and proximal convoluted tubules. In the liver of rats and mice, the signs of accumulation of lipofuscin-like granules were absent or minimal. In rat spleen, lipofuscinlike granules were found in the red pulp in all groups, but their accumulation significantly increased in animals receiving the diet enriched with glucose and sucrose.