Effects of chronic stress and high-fat diet on metabolic and nutritional parameters in Wistar rats

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was assess the role of chronic stress on the metabolic and nutritional profile of rats exposed to a high-fat diet. Materials and methods: Thirty-day-old male Wistar rats (70-100 g) were distributed into four groups: normal-diet (NC), chronic stress (St), high-fat diet (HD), and chronic stress/high-fat diet (HD/St). Stress consisted at immobilization during 15 weeks, 5 times per week, 1h per day; and exposure to the high-fat diet lasted 15 weeks. Nutritional and metabolic parameters were assessed. The level of significance was 5%. Results: The HD group had final body weight, total fat, as well as insulin and leptin increased, and they were insulin resistant. The St and HD/St had arterial hypertension and increased levels of corticosterone. Stress blocked the effects of the high-fat diet. Conclusion: Chronic stress prevented the appearance of obesity. Our results help to clarify the mechanisms involved in metabolic and nutritional dysfunction, and contribute to clinical cases linked to stress and high-fat diet. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2013;57(8):642-9 Keywords Chronic stress; high-fat diet; calorie intake and food intake RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar o papel do estresse crônico sobre parâmetros metabólicos e nutricionais de ratos expostos à dieta rica em gordura. Materiais e métodos: Ratos Wistar machos (30 dias de idade/70-100 g) foram distribuídos em quatro grupos: dieta-normal (NC), estresse crônico (St), dieta rica em gordura (HD) e estresse crônico/dieta rica em gordura (HD/St). O estresse consistiu em imobilização durante 15 semanas, 5 vezes por semana 1h por dia e a dieta rica em gordura foi oferecida por 15 semanas. Parâmetros nutricionais e metabólicos foram avaliados. O nível de significância foi de 5%. Resultados: HD tiveram peso corpóreo, gordura total e níveis de insulina e leptina aumentados e foram resistentes à insulina. Os grupos St e HD/St manifestaram hipertensão e níveis séricos de corticosterona elevados. O estresse bloqueou os efeitos da dieta. Conclusão: O estresse impediu o surgimento dela. Nossos resultados ajudam compreender os mecanismos envolvidos na disfunção metabólica e nutricional e contribuem para casos clínicos de estresse e dietas ricas em gorduras. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2013;57(8):642-9 Descritores Estresse crônico; dieta rica em gordura; consumo calórico e metabolismo

Melatonin Receptor Agonist Piromelatine Ameliorates Impaired Glucose Metabolism in Chronically Stressed Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet

“…In humans, prolonged chronic social stress is associated with higher cortisol levels, increased abdominal fat deposition, hyperglycemia, and IR (Epel et al, 2001;Aschbacher et al, 2014). The results obtained in experiment I demonstrate that the combination of an HFD and chronic stress impairs glucose metabolism and induces IR (as demonstrated by the IPGTT, ITT, and HOMA-IR index), with a loss of body weight gain and the gradual onset of symptoms of hyperglycemia (Zhang et al, 2014), which is in accordance with previous studies (Zardooz et al, 2006;Bruder-Nascimento et al, 2013; Kova cevi c et al, 2016; Zemdegs et al, 2016). In experiment II, there was a slight increase in appetite in the first week and a significant reduction in food intake after 1 week in the CF group, and a suppression of body weight gain was also observed in the CF rats (P , 0.05 vs. the control group), indicating a time-dependent interplay between the HFD and stress.…”

“…Another study demonstrated that estrogen impairs GC-dependent HPA-axis negative feedback via estrogen receptor a within the hypothalamus (Weiser and Handa, 2009). A large number of studies use male rats to model stress (Zardooz et al, 2006;Detanico et al, 2009;Bruder-Nascimento et al, 2013;Zhang et al, 2014;Kova cevi c et al, 2016;Zemdegs et al, 2016); therefore, males have been investigated more often in studies of stress.…”

Chronic psychological stress and high-fat high-fructose diet disrupt metabolic and inflammatory gene networks in the brain, liver, and gut and promote behavioral deficits in mice

“…In agreement with this metabolic profile, we demonstrate that the neuroendocrine adaptations necessary to supply the homeostatic demands of stress were associated with a decrease in weight gain in HFHF-fed mice without an effect on adiposity. This phenotypic outcome is desirable because the metabolic improvement associated with depletion of adipose tissue can compromise the assessment of possible synergistic effects of diet-stress interactions (Finger et al, 2012; Bruder-Nascimento et al, 2013). In addition, the reduction of mesenteric adipose tissue associated with HFHF diet in the present study may be related to the lipid accumulation observed in the liver.…”

Ondansetron attenuates co-morbid depression and anxiety associated with obesity by inhibiting the biochemical alterations and improving serotonergic neurotransmission

“…The activity of the HPA axis is modulated by factors involved in weight regulation, despite the controversy on whether weight gain results from early activation of the HPA axis or from comfort eating as a way to control stress (Bjorntorp, 1990). Raised glucocorticoids disturb the blood glucose in chronic stress and obesity itself is a stressful condition which thereby, exhibits diabetogenic action by altering the action of insulin and causing insulin resistance (Bruder-Nascimento et al, 2013). Several earlier studies have reported the association of depression, anxiety and insulin resistance (Pan et al, 2008;Everson-Rose et al, 2004;Murray et al, 2008).…”