D16: Effects of diet and systemic adipose on supraspinatus tendon collagen alignment and mechanical behavior

Presenter(s)

Neil Narayanan

Abstract or Description

Tendon injuries are increasingly prevalent in individuals with metabolic syndrome, with supraspinatus tendinopathy being particularly common. This study investigates how systemic adiposity and dietary composition influence supraspinatus tendon health, specifically collagen alignment and mechanical behavior. Using mouse models with genetic (LD) and diet-induced (HFD) obesity, researchers aimed to separate the effects of systemic inflammation from mechanical loading due to increased body weight. Experimental groups included LD mice with low body weight, wild-type (WT) mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD), and WT mice on a standard chow diet. Supraspinatus-humerus complexes were subjected to mechanical testing (stress relaxation and ramp to failure) and collagen alignment was quantified using quantitative polarized light imaging (QPLI) at seven points during testing.

The results indicated that while mechanical properties were unaffected by genotype or diet, collagen alignment was significantly impaired in HFD-fed mice regardless of body weight or genetic background. LD mice, despite having systemic adiposity and inflammation, displayed normal collagen alignment if not fed HFD. This suggests that high-fat diet intake alone—rather than systemic inflammation or increased mechanical load—is a primary disruptor of collagen organization.

These findings demonstrate that diet, particularly high-fat intake, can detrimentally affect tendon structure independent of obesity or genetic predisposition. Future research should explore whether dietary interventions can restore collagen alignment and potentially prevent tendon injuries. This study underscores the importance of nutritional factors in tendon health and suggests that managing dietary fat intake could be a therapeutic strategy for tendon preservation.