High-Fat-Diet-Induced Kidney Injury in Rats: The Role of Tart Cherry Supplementation

The kidney plays a crucial role in the complex inter-organ communication that occurs during obesity, leading to the development of oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis. Dysfunction of the transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels contributes to this pathophysiology. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of antioxidant-rich fruit tart cherry (<i>Prunus cerasus</i> L.) on kidney morphology and protein expression in rats with diet-induced obesity (DIO). Methods include histological staining and immunohistochemical and Western blot assays. Obese rodents were fed with seed powder (DS) and seed powder plus juice (DJS) of the tart cherry. Results demonstrated that rats fed a high-fat-diet (HFD) showed a significant reduction in renal expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) following tart cherry supplementation. Furthermore, the study provided evidence that TRP channels, specifically TRP canonical 1 (TRPC1) and TRP melastatin 2 (TRPM2), were significantly upregulated in obese animals (<i>p</i> < 0.05 vs. CHOW rats) and markedly downregulated following tart cherry supplementation (<i>p</i> < 0.05 vs. DIO rats). In conclusion, these TRP proteins offer new insights for identifying targets and biomarkers for developing therapeutic strategies against HFD-induced renal damage, characterized by glomerulosclerosis, fibrosis, and inflammation. Tart cherries supplementation exerted a protective effect on the kidneys by reducing protein oxidation and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression.