Chapter 7 - Kidney Damage in Obese Subjects: Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Abstract

A surplus of calories in the body is under normal circumstances stored as triglycerides in adipose tissue. However, once the storage capacity is exceeded, as happens in obesity, dyslipidemia appears and lipids accumulate ectopically in different organs, including the kidney, damaging them through toxic processes called lipotoxicity. The increased influx of lipids into the kidneys translates into an increase in their intracellular concentration and promotes insulin resistance, generation of reactive oxygen species, and inflammation. This exposure to oxidative stress also generates endoplasmic reticulum stress, which leads to cell apoptosis and fibrosis through the transcriptional growth factor β pathway, contributing to alterations in the glomerular filtration barrier and renal disease. Having such a broad spectrum of effects on the kidney, oxidative stress and inflammation are a priority target to treat kidney diseases. Among the variety of treatment possibilities, dietary antioxidants such as vitamins C and E have shown positive results.