An Experimental Model of Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rabbit: Methodological Considerations, Development, and Assessment

Óscar Julián Arias-Mutis; Patricia Genovés; Conrado J. Calvo; Ana Díaz; Germán Parra; Luis Such-Miquel; Luis Such; Antonio Alberola; Francisco Javier Chorro; Manuel Zarzoso

doi:10.3791/57117

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Method Article

An Experimental Model of Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rabbit: Methodological Considerations, Development, and Assessment

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DOI:

10.3791/57117

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April 20th, 2018

Óscar Julián Arias-Mutis¹^,²^,³ , Patricia Genovés¹^,²^,³ , Conrado J. Calvo¹^,²^,⁴ , Ana Díaz⁵ , Germán Parra²^,³ , Luis Such-Miquel⁶ , Luis Such² , Antonio Alberola² , Francisco Javier Chorro¹^,³ , Manuel Zarzoso⁶

¹CIBERCV, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, ²Department of Physiology, Universitat de València, ³INCLIVA, ⁴Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, ⁵UCIM, Universitat de València, ⁶Department of Physiotherapy, Universitat de València

Summary

We describe methods to develop an experimental model of diet-induced metabolic syndrome (MetS) in rabbits using a high-fat, high-sucrose diet. Animals developed central obesity, mild hypertension, pre-diabetes, and dyslipidemia, thus reproducing the main components of human MetS. This chronic model will allow acquisition of knowledge underlying mechanisms of disease progression.

Abstract

In recent years, obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) have become a growing problem for public health and clinical practice, given their increased prevalence due to the rise of sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits. Thanks to animal models, basic research can investigate the mechanisms underlying pathological processes such as MetS. Here, we describe the methods used to develop an experimental rabbit model of diet-induced MetS and its assessment. After a period of acclimation, animals are fed a high-fat (10% hydrogenated coconut oil and 5% lard), high-sucrose (15% sucrose dissolved in water) diet for 28 weeks. During this period, several experimental procedures were performed to evaluate the different components of MetS: morphological and blood pressure measurements, glucose tolerance determination, and the analysis of several plasma markers. At the end of the experimental period, animals developed central obesity, mild hypertension, pre-diabetes, and dyslipidemia with low HDL, high LDL, and an increase of triglyceride (TG) levels, thus reproducing the main components of human MetS. This chronic model allows new perspectives for understanding the underlying mechanisms in the progression of the disease, the detection of preclinical and clinical markers that allow the identification of patients at risk, or even the testing of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of this complex pathology.

Introduction

Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) have become a growing problem for public health and clinical practice, given their increased prevalence due to the rise of sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits¹. There are several definitions of MetS, but most of them describe it as a cluster of cardiovascular and metabolic alterations such as abdominal obesity, reduced HDL and elevated LDL cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, glucose intolerance, and hypertension²^,³^,⁴. Diagnosis requires that three out of these five criteria are present.