Experimental Models Of Metabolic Syndrome In Male Wistar Rats

Metabolic syndrome’s prevalence ranges from 20-25% of the adult population. It is reported to elevate the risk of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and several cancers. Establishing an animal model of metabolic syndrome is crucial to evaluating treatment modalities. This research aimed to compare various methods of inducing metabolic syndrome. A study with pre and post-only with a control group design, combined with post-test only with a control group was conducted on 20 male Wistar rats. At the baseline, anthropometric and biochemical parameters were evaluated. Animals were then randomly allocated into four comparable groups, group I (control); group II(dexamethasone), group III: fructose and dexamethasone combination; and hight-fat-diet combined with fructose drinking water (group IV). Dexamethasone was given at 1 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally, fructose was provided ad libitum as 20% fructose drinking water (FDW), while the high-fat diet were given as egg yolk and repeatedly heated vegetable oil (1:1). All treatments were given for 10 days. After interventions, all parameters were re-evaluated and histologic analyses were performed. Group II and III developed systolic hypertension, and elevated glucose and cholesterol levels, but no changes in adipocyte diameter and obesity index. A high-fat diet combined with 20% FDW groups showed weight gain, elevated diastolic blood pressure and glucose levels, and also slight lipohypertrophy. We concluded that treatment with dexamethasone and fructose-dexamethasone combination mimicked the metabolic parameters but not the obesity traits. The high-fat-fructose group was shown to induce lipohypertrophy but not lipohyperplasia.