Abstract

Introduction. Hypertension with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular-related morbidity. Diet plays an essential role in the prevention and treatment of chronic cardiovascular disease. The aim of our study was to analyze the influence of 10-week diets consisting of different high fats and carbohydrates on the myocardium in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Materials and methods. The SHR (n=34) and WKY (n=34) were randomly divided into five groups (n=6 or 7 per group). For 10 weeks, the control group was fed the standard diet; the experimental groups were fed the standard chow diet with the different fats and sucrose (11% of the calorie intake). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured before the experiment and 10 weeks after by the non-invasive tail-cuff method. After the experiment, the animals were humanely sacrificed. The heart specimens after routine processing were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. We determined the thickness of the left ventricle and the number of cardiomyocyte nuclei per unit area using morphometry. Results. An increase in SBP at the end of the experiment was found in SHR animals in groups receiving trans-fat and sucrose by 10.9 mm Hg and 13.4 mm Hg, respectively. Myocardial hypertrophy was observed in the SHR Butter group. Conclusion. We found that the increased content of trans-fats and sucrose in the diet leads to an increase in SBP in spontaneously hypertensive rats; saturated fatty acids – to myocardial hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats without aggravation of systolic hypertension. In normotensive animals, no negative effect of the high-fat diet on the cardiovascular system was observed. Keywords: myocardial hypertrophy, arterial hypertension, high fat diets, palm oil, carbohydrates

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call