High-fat diet-induced obesity Rat model: a comparison between Wistar and Sprague Dawley Rat - implications of gut microbiota

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2016

Authors

Marques, C. (Author) FMUP; Meireles, M. (Author) FMUP; Norberto, S. (Author) FMUP; Leite, J. (Author) FMUP; Freitas, J. (Author) FMUP; Pestana, D. (Author) FMUP; Faria, Ana (Author) FCNAUP; Calhau, C. (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Adipocyte

Vol. 5 No. 1

Pages: 11-21

ISSN: 2162-3945

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Indexing

Pubmed / Medline

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences

CORDIS: Health sciences

Other information

DOI: 10.1080/21623945.2015.1061723

Abstract (EN): In the past decades, obesity and associated metabolic complications have reached epidemic proportions. For the study of these pathologies, a number of animal models have been developed. However, a direct comparison between Wistar and Sprague-Dawley (SD) Rat as models of high-fat (HF) diet-induced obesity has not been adequately evaluated so far. Wistar and SD rats were assigned for 2 experimental groups for 17 weeks: standard (St) and high-fat (HF) diet groups. To assess some of the features of the metabolic syndrome, oral glucose tolerance tests, systolic blood pressure measurements and blood biochemical analysis were performed throughout the study. The gut microbiota composition of the animals of each group was evaluated at the end of the study by real-time PCR. HF diet increased weight gain, body fat mass, mesenteric adipocyte's size, adiponectin and leptin plasma levels and decreased oral glucose tolerance in both Wistar and SD rats. However, the majority of these effects were more pronounced or earlier detected in Wistar rats. The gut microbiota of SD rats was less abundant in Bacteroides and Prevotella but richer in Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus comparatively to the gut microbiota of Wistar rats. Nevertheless, the modulation of the gut microbiota by HF diet was similar in both strains, except for Clostridium leptum that was only reduced in Wistar rats fed with HF diet. In conclusion, both Wistar and SD Rat can be used as models of HF diet-induced obesity although the metabolic effects caused by HF diet seemed to be more pronounced in Wistar Rat. Differences in the gut microbial ecology may account for the worsened metabolic scenario observed in Wistar Rat.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

Notes: Epub 15.07.2015. Revista indexada na PubMed Central, artigo não indexado à data do registo (2015.12.14)