Stroke vulnerability and soft diets: histological and biochemical analysis in a brain ischemic rat model

Diet is an important contributor to human healthiness. The firmness of food can impact both the quantity of chews and the duration of chewing. The significance of mastication has been firmly established in recent years, with studies indicating that it has several favorable impacts on the entire body. Stroke constitutes a serious risk to human health because of its high morbidity, disability, recurrence, and fatality rates. As a result, the objective of this study was to assess the prolonged soft-diet impact on both body weight and lipid profiles with and without brain ischemia-reperfusion (IR). In addition, we estimated the brain oxidative and inflammatory states with the histological appearance, and an immunohistochemical investigation was accomplished on inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and caspase 3 (Casp-3). The current study found that rats fed an SD had higher body weight and dyslipidemia, as well as significantly higher levels of oxidative and inflammatory brain markers, as compared to rats on an ordinary laboratory diet. Feeding with soft diet (SD) also notably worsened the deficiencies in overall antioxidant capabilities. Moreover, chronic consumption of SD up-regulated the brain IR-induced over-expression of iNOS and Casp-3. The histological analysis of brain tissue in IR rats revealed a significant exacerbation of the loss of normal architecture and infiltration of inflammatory cells due to pre-SD diet. In conclusion, chronic SD intake is hazardously obesogenic, with Higher cardiac risk factors resulting from disrupted lipid metabolism. The findings may raise concerns regarding the potential health risks associated with prolonged intake of SD in humans, particularly among individuals who are obese or have neurological or other organ-related conditions.