AN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL TO INDUCE METABOLIC SYNDROME IN RATS. THE FRUCTOSE - ENRICHED DIET
STELIANA GHIBU1, NICOLETA DECEA2, CLAUDIU MORGOVAN3*, CRISTINA MOGOSAN1
1Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Physiopathology; Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
3Department of Pharmacy, “Vasile Goldiş” Western University of Arad, Arad, Romania
*corresponding author: claudiumorgovan@yahoo.com
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Abstract:

The objective of this study was to induce metabolic syndrome (MS) in rats by means of a fructose-enriched diet (F, 60%). Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 2 groups and fed for 3 months with standard chow (Control group) or with standard chow supplemented with fructose (F, 60%). After their sacrifice, blood was drawn and the following biochemical parameters were determined from the centrifuged plasma: triglycerides and malondialdehyde (MDA) – a marker of lipid peroxidation. The fructose diet induced a significant increase in glycaemia (5.60 ± 0.07 vs 7.22  ± 0.13 mM, p < 0.001), in systolic blood pressure (SBP 113.66 ± 1.14 vs 130.61 ± 0.80 mmHg, p < 0.001) and in the triglyceride values (61.86 ± 4.86 vs 331.20 ± 23.15 mg/dL, p < 0.001), without significant modification of  rat body weight. Moreover, the plasma MDA level was 1.38 times higher in fructose-fed rats. Our results suggest that this experimental model could be used to induce metabolic alterations, such as hypertension, hyperglycaemia and dyslipidemia, alterations associated to lipid peroxidation. 

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