Gluten May Trigger Brain Inflammation and Obesity in Humans

Celiac.com 08/15/2023 - Researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand recently studied the effects of dietary wheat gluten on the hypothalamus of male mice. The researchers include Mohammed Z. Rizwan, Romy Kerbus, Kaj Kamstra, Pramuk Keerthisinghe, and Alexander Tups. Their findings are intriguing.

The researchers are variously affiliated with the Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Physiology at the University of Otago School of Biomedical Sciences in Dunedin, New Zealand; the Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy at the University of Otago School of Biomedical Sciences in Dunedin, New Zealand, and the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery in Auckland, New Zealand.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
Gluten is commonly found in wheat, rye, and barley, and is a major dietary component in many western countries. Gluten has been linked to weight gain and peripheral inflammation in mice. This research aimed to understand its impact on central inflammation, particularly in relation to diet-induced obesity.

Low-fat Diet vs. High-fat Diet with Gluten

The study observed that adding gluten to a low-fat diet had no discernible effect, but male mice fed a high-fat diet enriched with gluten exhibited increased body mass and adiposity compared to those on an high-fat diet without gluten. Additionally, when gluten was introduced to the low-fat diet, it led to higher levels of circulating C-reactive protein.

Interestingly, it made no difference whether gluten was added to a low-fat or a high-fat diet. Either way, it triggered a significant increase in the number of microglia and astrocytes in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. 

These changes were identified using specific markers through immunohistochemistry. Even on an low-fat diet, gluten appeared to replicate the immunogenic effects seen with an high-fat diet, and its inclusion in the latter led to a further rise in the number of reactive immune cells.

Gluten Triggers an Obesity and Injury to the Hypothalamus

Overall, the findings suggested that gluten had a moderate obeso-genic effect, when given to mice exposed to an high-fat diet. 

Moreover, the study reported that gluten triggered the presence of astrocytes and microglia in the hypothalamus, indicating a potential injury to the hypothalamus in rodents. Mice are used in studies to model human disease risk due to genetic similarities, allowing researchers to investigate potential factors and develop treatments in controlled, ethically manageable settings.

This research contributes to our understanding the complex relationship between dietary components, like gluten, and obesity-related inflammation in the brain. It also offers up some exciting areas of further research inquiry into the brain's response to gluten in both mice and humans.

Read more in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology