High Fat Simple Carbohydrate-Fed Male Wistar Rats: A Useful Model to Study Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome represents a combination of cardiovascular risk determinants and lipid abnormalities. The syndrome is associated with a five-fold higher risk of developing type-II diabetes and two to threefold higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The etiology of the syndrome at the molecular level is not yet understood. Therefore, there is a need to study the syndrome in an animal model. In the present study, the effect of high fat simple carbohydrate (HFSC) diet on male Wistar rats was investigated. The rats were fed HFSC diet for a period of five months. Anthropometric parameters were measured and serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL were analysed. Glucose intolerance was studied using oral glucose tolerance test. The formulated (HFSC) diet succeeded in developing an animal model for metabolic syndrome within 17 weeks characterized by obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, impaired glucose tolerance, fatty liver and abnormal cardiac histology.