Age related vascular and renal changes in female rats with metabolic syndrome

Abstract

The present study was conducted to investigate the metabolic syndrome –associated vascular and renal changes in female rats and to explore the impact of age on these changes. The study was performed on adult female albino rats, divided into 6 groups (each group was comprised of 15 rats) as follows: 1. Young female control rats (~3-4 months). 2. Young female rats with metabolic syndrome. 3. Adult female control rats (~7-10 months). 4. Adult female rats with metabolic syndrome. 5. Aged female control rats (~16-19months). 6. Aged female rats with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome was induced by 61% fructose -containing diet. To avoid food aversion, the fructose content in the rat diet was divided into ⅔ (.i.e. 41%) included in diet and ⅓ given by gavage. To calculate this amount, average food intake /rat / day was estimated, then the amount of fructose that would be ingested / rat/ day if fructose content in the diet formula was 61% was calculated, then divided by 3 to calculate its⅓. Young, adults and old rat groups on fructose –containing diet showed average food intake ~ 25 g/ rat /day by the 2nd-4th week of fructose intake. Thus, a fructose solution (5 g fructose /4 ml distilled water / rat /day) was given by gavage.