Background and aims: Obesity is often associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. The food industry and the associated research activities focus on formulating products that are a perfect mix between an adequate fat content and health. We evaluated whether a diet enriched with Bio-Oil Spread (SD), an olive oil-based innovative food, is cardioprotective in the presence of high-fat diet (HFD)-dependent obesity.Methods and Results: Rats were fed for 16 weeks with normolipidic diet (ND; fat: 6.2%), HFD (fat: 42%), and ND enriched with SD (6.2% of fat þ 35.8% of SD). Metabolic and anthropometric parameters were measured. Heart and liver structures were analyzed by histochemical examination. Ischemic susceptibility was evaluated on isolated and Langendorff-perfused cardiac preparations. Signaling was assessed by Western blotting. Compared to ND rats, HFD rats showed increased body weight and abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, and impaired glucose tolerance. Morphological analyses showed that HFD is associated with heart and liver modifications (hypertrophy and steatosis, respectively), lesser evident in the SD group, together with metabolic and anthropometric alterations. In particular, IGF-1R immunodetection revealed a reduction of hypertrophy in SD heart sections. Notably, SD diet significantly reduced myocardial susceptibility against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) with respect to HFD through the activation of survival signals (Akt, ERK1/2, and Bcl2). Systolic and diastolic performance was preserved in the SD group. Conclusions: We suggest that SD may contribute to the prevention of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular alterations typical of severe obesity induced by an HFD, including the increased ischemic susceptibility of the myocardium. Our results pave the way to evaluate the introduction of SD in human alimentary guidelines as a strategy to reduce saturated fat intake.
IntroductionMen and women of all ages, races, and ethnic groups can be affected by obesity [1] and this is often accompanied by an increased morbidity and mortality due an increase of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors [2,3]. Severe obesity causes permanent hemodynamic alterations that progressively impair cardiac structure and function. When comorbidities (i.e., systemic hypertension, sleep apnea, and hypoventilation) are present together with obesity, cardiac alterations progress to heart failure (HF) [4]. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a condition in which a high CVD risk is associated with obesity. It is characterized by disturbed glucose homeostasis, dyslipidemia, and hypertension [5] and is established in the presence of three of the following parameters: (i) waist circumference >40 (men) and >35 (women) inches; (ii) triglycerides >150 mg/dl; (iii) HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol <40 (men) and <50 (women) mg/dl; (iv) blood pressure >130/85 mm Hg; and (v) fasting glucose >100 mg/dl [6]. Currently, nutritional therapy is regarded as the best practice to prevent and/or reduce the cardiovascular damages associated ...
