Effect of intermittent fasting during Ramadan on Visfatin, Adiponectin and tumor necrotizing factor- alpha in healthy Muslim individuals

Effect of Intermittent Fasting during Ramadan on Visfatin, Adiponectin and Tumor Necrotizing FactorAlpha in Healthy Muslim Individuals Eisa Safavi 1, Ali Reza Rahbar2* 1. 2. Department of Labaratory Technology, Paramedical Faculty, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran Department of Nutrition, Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran ARTICLEINFO ABSTRACT Article type: Original article Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fasting in Ramadan on visfatin, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and adiponectin level in human. Methods: Thirty four men aged 24 to 55 years old were selected from those people who were willing to fast in Ramadan. The blood sample was obtained from each participant in fasting state at the beginning and the end of study to determine serum visfatin, adiponectin and TNF-α. Paired T test was used to identify differences between beginning and the end of the study in serum visfatin, adiponectin and TNF-α. Results: Results showed a significant decrease in Visfatin after study. There were no significant changes in adiponectin and TNF-α during Ramadan fasting. Conclusion: It is concluded that fasting in Ramadan is beneficial to health and can ameliorate some inflammatory markers in fasting individuals. Article History: Received: 27 Mar 2017 Accepted: 21 May 2017 Published: 20 Jun 2017 Keywords: Adiponectin Ramadan fasting Tumor necrotizing factoralpha Visfatin Please cite this paper as: Safavi E, Rahbar AR. Effect of Intermittent Fasting during Ramadan on Visfatin, Adiponectin and Tumor Necrotizing Factor- Alpha in Healthy Muslim Individuals. J Fasting Health. 2017; 5(2): 50-55. DOI: 10.22038/jfh.2017.22719.1084 Introduction Inflammation is primitive in athero-sclerosis (1) and plays an essential role in the development of CVD (2). Recently, growing interest has appeared in the role of inflammatory and anti -inflammatory adipocytokines in the progression of CVD (3, 4). Visfatin, as an inflammatory adipocytokine, is involved in many inflammatory diseases (5). Reportedly, Visfatin has been engaged in monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells, (6) and plaque rupture (7) in unstable lesions in atherosclerosis. On the contrary, adiponectin is an anti-inflammatory adipocytokine, (8) which prevents vascular stenosis, (9) insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, (10) renal fibrosis, diabetes nephropathy and albuminuria in animal models (10). In addition, TNF-α induces programmed cell death or apoptosis in Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), (11) Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) (12) and Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (13). Evidences show that fasting is effective in the treatment of rheumatoid diseases, and chronic pain syndromes (14). Fasting is used by Naturopathy to manage treatment of diseases (15). Ayurveda also use fasting to enhance digestive capacity, enthusiasm, and decrease signs and symptoms of diseases (16). However, there are controversies about the period and the rate of calorie restriction in different studies (17). Some studies recommend severe restriction, up to 75-90% of energy needs (18). But prolonged and severed starvation has hazardous effects such * Corresponding author: Ali Reza Rahbar, Department of Nutrition, Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran. Tel: 00989177724604; Fax: + 0098 7712528; Email: rahbar_alireza@ yahoo.com © 2017 mums.ac.ir All rights reserved. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Effect of Fasting on Visfatin, Adiponectin and TNF-α as heart failure, (19) impaired liver function, (20) cholesterogenesis, (21) autophagy (21) and cachexia (22). It has been hypothesized that intermittent fasting positively affects the inflammatory markers (23). We hypothesize that intermittent fasting might be able to ameliorate some health-threatening factors such as elevated TNF-α or Visfatin without the undesirable side effects of prolonged starvation. However, to the best of our knowledge, so far, there is very scares published study on the effect of intermittent fasting on visfatin and TNF-α during Ramadan. Therefore this study was conducted to investigate the effect of fasting in Ramadan on visfatin, TNF-α and adiponectin level in human. Material and methods This study was conducted between 1st and 30th of July in 2015 in Bushehr University of Medical Sciences. Thirty four men aged 16 to 64 years old were selected by simple random sampling from those people who were willing to participate in the study. The participants were invited to present in Bushehr University of Medical Sciences between 8-9 hours on the following morning in fasting state through a letter delivered to their homes by the post. The aims of the study were elucidated in detail in the letter. The inclusion criteria were: willing to fast during Ramadan, male gender and aged 15 years old and more (eligibility criteria for fasting from the religious point of view for male gender). They were excluded if they were using thyroid drug, cigarette, estrogen, medications for hypertension and any clinical signs of hypothyroidism, dyslipidemia, or diabetes mellitus. An expert physician and dietitian interviewed and examined the participants. At the beginning of study a blood sample was obtained from each participant after 12 hours fasting into tube containing EDTA. Blood sample were centrifuged at 3000 × g for 15 min and the plasma samples were stored in 1.5 ml microtubes at -20° C at the laboratory of Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research. At the end of the study once again plasma samples were obtained from each participant and plasma J Fasting Health. 2017; 5(2):50-55. Safavi E and Rahbar AR visfatin, TNF-α and adiponectin were measured. A written, signed informed consent was obtained from each participant at the beginning of the study. Anthropometric measurements Height and weight of the participants were measured with a stadiometer (Seca stadiometer, model 286 dp, Hamburg, Germany) and a scale (Seca scale, model 755, Hamburg, Germany). The participants were demanded to remove heavy outer garments and shoes before height and weight measurement. Body mass index was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters (kg/m2). Waist circumference was measured at the midpoint between the lower edge of the rib cage and the iliac crests with an un-stretchable measuring tape. Waist-to-hip ratio was determined as waist circumference divided by hip circumference. The smallest circumference measured at the navel, and the largest circumference measured at the hips and buttocks was applied for this measurement (24). Physical activity Physical activity of particip (...truncated)