Abstract

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) has become a global public health burden due to its link to cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. The present study was designed to characterize the metabolic and cardiovascular disturbances, as well as changes in gut microbiota associated with high-fructose high-fat diet (HFFD)-induced MetS in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits. Twenty-one Watanabe rabbits were assigned to a control (n = 9) and HFFD (n = 12) groups, receiving a chow diet and a HFFD, respectively. During a 12-weeks protocol, morphological parameters were monitored; plasma fasting levels of lipids, glucose and insulin were measured and a glucose tolerance test (GTT) was performed. HOMA-IR was calculated. Cardiac function and vascular reactivity were evaluated using the Langendorff isolated heart and isolated carotid arteries methods, respectively. 16S rRNA sequencing of stool samples was used to determine gut microbial composition and abundance. HFFD-fed Watanabe rabbits exhibited increased fasting insulin (p < 0.03, 12th week vs. Baseline), HOMA-IR (p < 0.03 vs. Control), area under the curve of the GTT (p < 0.02 vs. Control), triglycerides (p < 0.05, 12th week vs. Baseline), TC (p < 0.01 vs. Control), LDL-C (p < 0.001 vs. Control). The HFFD group also displayed a significant decrease in intestinal microbial richness, evenness and diversity (FDR < 0.001, FDR < 0.0001, FDR < 0.01, respectively vs. Control group) and an increase in its Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio (R = 3.39 in control vs. R = 28.24 in the HFFD group) indicating a shift in intestinal microbial composition and diversity. Our results suggest that HFFD induces insulin resistance and gut microbiota dysbiosis and accentuates dyslipidemia; and that, when subjected to HFFD, Watanabe rabbits might become a potential diet-induced MetS animal models with two main features, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance.

Highlights

  • The metabolic syndrome (MetS) includes abdominal adiposity, insulin resistance (IR), impaired glucose tolerance, arterial hypertension, and dyslipidemia [1]

  • We observed that rabbits belonging to the HFFD group represented a significant increase in the AUCGTT, HOMA-IR, LDL-C and TG levels as well as alterations in gut microbiota compared to the control group

  • In contrast to others who found that pulse wave velocity (PWV) increases in an animal model of diet-induced metabolic syndrome [62], our results showed no significant difference between the two groups (Fig 5)

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Summary

Introduction

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) includes abdominal (central/visceral) adiposity, insulin resistance (IR), impaired glucose tolerance, arterial hypertension, and dyslipidemia [1]. Each component of the MetS is considered as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease [2]. The MetS has become the major global health hazard of the modern world due to a worldwide shift towards a western lifestyle [5, 6]. The continuous and rapid rise in the global prevalence of MetS are attributed to increased consumption of food and beverages that are rich in energy, fat, and added sugar, on one hand and to decreased physical activity/sedentary lifestyle, on the other hand [5–8]. It has been demonstrated that chronic consumption of a western diet, rich in sugar and saturated fat, increases the risk of developing IR [9, 10], dyslipidemia and obesity [11, 12], three main components of MetS [13, 14]

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