Disequilibrium between the production of reactive oxygen and ability of an organism to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or easily repair the resulting damage is termed as oxidative stress (OS). OS is believed to be involved in development of various pathologies like Alzheimer's disease, cancer, accelerated aging and many others. On the other hand, OS itself arises from medical conditions like obesity. Wistar of National Institute of Nutrition Obese (WNIN/Ob) obese rats are the novel rat models presenting a link between obesity and ageing. Our studies clearly show the progression of OS and accumulation of DNA damage in brain at an early age causing accelerated aging in these rat models. Imbalance in the levels of trophic factors IGF1 and BDNF, both in plasma and brain, implies altered signaling which in turn leads to hyperphagic behavior and stress. The increased C-reactive protein levels and astroglial infiltration further give clues regarding increased cellular stress and damage in important brain areas like hypothalamus, hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Here the link between obesity and brain aging has been proposed with future directions of research.
Ethical Statement: This study was performed in accordance with the protocols duly approved by the institutional animal ethical committee.
Source of funding: National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad and Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi.