High carbohydrate high fat diet induces the production of connective tissue growth factors, increased blood pressure, and changes in the aortic wall in aged rats

Abstract

Age and diabetes are a risk factor for arterial hypertension. In the presented work, the morphological basis of an increase in blood pressure under the influence of a high-carbohydrate high-fat diet in old rats was investigated. It was determined the connective tissue growth factor levels and morphological changes in the aortic wall. A study was carried out in male Wistar rats weighing 350–400 g, 140 day old and rats weighing 530-620 g, 540 day old at the end of research. All procedures conformed to the Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and FASEB Statement of Principles for the use of Animals in Research and Education. Ethical approval was granted by the Ethical Committee of Research Institute of Cardiology, Tomsk National Research Medical Center. The high carbohydrate high fat diet (HCHFD) consisted from proteins 16%, fats 21%, carbohydrates 46%, including 17% fructose, 0.125% cholesterol, 90 days. Control group rats were fed a standard rat diet. It was found that the severity of arterial hypertension (Fig. 1), histological changes in the aortic wall (Fig. 2), and the level of connective tissue growth factors (TGFbeta, CTGF, fibronectin; Fig. 1) were significantly increased in elderly rats kept on a high-carbohydrate high-fat diet than young animals. In young rats kept on a high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet, arterial hypertension has a transient hypervolumic hallmark and does not cause changes in the aortic wall. The rise in blood pressure has a positive correlation with CTGF and fibronectin content (Fig. 1). These findings indicate that the formation of increased blood pressure in old rats when kept on a high carbohydrate high fat diet is associated with changes in the morphological structure of the aorta and is due to increased production of connective tissue growth factors.