Effect of Ketogenic Diet on Monosodium Glutamate-Induced Uterine Fibroids in Female Wistar Rats

Ketogenic diet (KGD) is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat and average protein dietary formulation, which has been reported with the ability to ameliorate several metabolic diseases, especially those under the direct influence of hormonal disruptions. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) had been found to induce uterine fibroids in laboratory animals through alterations to hormones, lipids and oxidative state. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of KGD on MSG-induced uterine fibroid.

In this experimental study twenty-four female Wistar rats were divided into four groups of six. Control group received distilled water while the remaining groups were given 300 mg/kg body weight of MSG once a day for 28 days. Thereafter, the three groups of MSG, MSG + keto group 1 and MSG + keto group 2 received standard rat chow, cabbage-based ketogenic diet and coconut-based ketogenic diet, respectively for 42 days. Estrogen, Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), malondialdehyde (MDA), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and Total Cholesterol (TC) were determined in the blood of animals using standard methods and induction of fibroids was confirmed in the uterus by histomorphological measurements.

Significant elevations (p<0.05) were observed in the levels of estrogen (1.80±0.09 &1.27±0.12), LH (1.04±0.04 & 0.39±0.01), FSH (1.51±0.04 & 0.65±0.03), TC and MDA in the MSG group compared to control. There were significant decreases (p<0.05) in the activities of CAT and SOD enzymes in the MSG group compared to control. Histological analysis confirmed significant reduction (p<0.05) in leiomyomas of the dietary treatment groups compared to that of MSG.

The study suggests that cabbage- and coconut-based KGD may control the occurrence and progression of fibroids through reduction of oxidative damage and amelioration of hormonal imbalance induced by MSG.