Cafeteria diet-induced obesity plus chronic stress alter serum leptin levels

• Published in: Peptides (New York, N.Y. : 1980) Vol. 38; no. 1; pp. 189 - 196
• Main Authors: Macedo, I.C., Medeiros, L.F., Oliveira, C., Oliveira, C.M., Rozisky, J.R., Scarabelot, V.L., Souza, A., Silva, F.R., Santos, V.S., Cioato, S.G., Caumo, W., Torres, I.L.S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-11-2012
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Animals; Body Weight - drug effects; Cafeteria diet; Chronic restraint stress; Corticosterone - blood; Diet - adverse effects; Disease Models, Animal; Energy Intake; Hypercaloric diet; Leptin; Leptin - blood; Lipids - blood; Lipoproteins, HDL - blood; Lipoproteins, LDL - blood; Liver - drug effects; Obesity; Obesity - blood; Obesity - etiology; Organ Size - drug effects; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Restraint, Physical; Stress, Physiological; Obesity; Adipose tissue; Chronic restraint stress; Hypercaloric diet; Leptin; Cafeteria diet
• ISSN: 0196-9781; 1873-5169
• DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2012.08.007

► Animals were subjected to chronic stress and a high-calorie diet for 40 days. ► The parameters evaluated were serum leptin levels and specific adipose tissue weights. ► Stress inhibited weight independently of diet type. ► A hypercaloric diet affected weight parameters and serum leptin levels.
Obesity is a disease that has become a serious public health issue worldwide, and chronic stressors, which are a problem for modern society, cause neuroendocrine changes with alterations in food intake. Obesity and chronic stress are associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders. In this study, a rat model was used to evaluate the effects of a hypercaloric diet plus chronic restraint stress on the serum leptin and lipids levels and on the weight of specific adipose tissue (mesenteric, MAT; subcutaneous, SAT and visceral, VAT). Wistar rats were divided into the following 4 groups: standard chow (C), hypercaloric diet (HD), stress plus standard chow (S), and stress plus hypercaloric diet (SHD). The animals in the stress groups were subjected to chronic stress (placed inside a 25cm×7cm plastic tube for 1h per day, 5 days per week for 6 weeks). The following parameters were evaluated: the weight of the liver, adrenal glands and specific adipose tissue; the delta weight; the Lee index; and the serum levels of leptin, corticosterone, glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. The hypercaloric diet induced obesity in rats, increasing the Lee index, weight, leptin, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels. The stress decreased weight gain even in animals fed a hypercaloric diet but did not prevent a significant increase in the Lee index. However, an interaction between the independent factors (hypercaloric diet and stress) was observed, which is demonstrated by the increased serum leptin levels in the animals exposed to both protocols.