Effects of short-term feeding of a highly palatable diet on vascular reactivity in rats

• Published in: European journal of clinical investigation Vol. 31; no. 12; pp. 1024 - 1028
• Main Authors: Naderali, E. K., Williams, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01-12-2001; Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Aldehydes - blood; Animal Feed; Animals; Arteriosclerosis - etiology; Arteriosclerosis - physiopathology; Biological and medical sciences; Carbachol - pharmacology; Carbamylcholine; Cholinergic Agonists - pharmacology; Dietary Fats - pharmacology; Energy Intake; Fatty Acids - blood; histamine; Histamine - pharmacology; Male; Medical sciences; Mesenteric Arteries - physiology; Metabolic diseases; Nitroprusside - pharmacology; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - physiopathology; palatable diet; Rats; Rats, Wistar; sodium nitoprusside; Triglycerides - blood; vascular dysfunction; Vascular Resistance - drug effects; Vasodilation - drug effects; Vasodilator Agents - pharmacology; Short term; Obesity; Pathophysiology; Rat; Rodentia; Nutrition disorder; Cardiovascular disease; Experimental study; Feeding; Vascular disease; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Reactivity; Animal; Blood vessel; Atherosclerosis; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0014-2972; 1365-2362
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2362.2001.00908.x

Background Numerous studies have shown that long‐term consumption of high‐fat, high‐energy diet results in obesity, which in turn, leads to cardiovascular disorders. However, there is little or no data on the acute effects of a highly palatable diet on vascular function.
Material and Methods In this study we aimed to evaluate the changes in metabolic and vascular reactivity in Wistar rats fed a palatable diet for 2 days.
Results Two‐days feeding of rats with a palatable diet did not effect body weight, fat‐pad mass or gasterocnimus muscles weights. Nor there were any changes in plasma glucose, insulin or leptin levels. However, compared with chow‐fed rats, palatable diet‐fed rats had significantly raised plasma free fatty acids and triglycerides levels (for both, P < 0·01). Compared with chow‐fed animals, vasorelaxation responses to carbamylcholine and sodium nitroprusside were significantly attenuated in palatable diet‐fed rats (for both, P < 0·01). However, there were no differences in histamine‐induced vasorelaxation between chow‐fed and palatable diet‐fed rats.
Conclusion These data indicates that diet‐induced endothelium‐dependent and ‐independent vascular dysfunction occurs long before obesity develops.