Cardiovascular changes induced by high fat diet: possible role of forebrain mechanisms

• Grant number: 17/10762-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: June 01, 2018
• End date: February 28, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Débora Simões de Almeida Colombari
• Grantee: Jéssica Matheus de Sá
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOAr). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 15/23467-7 - Experimental pathophysiology: role of central mechanisms of the cardiovascular and respiratory control changes induced by experimental hypertension and obesity, AP.TEM

Abstract

During obesity, there is an increase in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) acitivity. Thus, a greater RAS activation, and the consequent increased levels of peripheral angiotensin II (ANG II), can activate forebrain areas of the central nervous system (CNS) free of the blood brain barrier located in the lamina terminalis, and rich in ANG II receptors. The activation of AT1 receptors in these areas activate neural pathways that lead to an increase in sympathetic nerve activity and in the arterial pressure during obesity. However, the effect of AT1 receptors blocked, the AT2 receptors activation, the sensitivity to ANG II in the forebrain on the cardiovascular changes induced by high fat diet (HFD) is still an open question. It is known that in obese rats there in an increase in sodium reabsorption, which can be caused by the higher levels of the RAS and sympathetic nerve activity, or even by renal compression. Thus, the study of renin plasma levels, in addition to the leptin and insulin levels normally used, is necessary, as well as to study the hydro-electrolyte balance in HFD feeding rats. Finally, since losartan (AT1 receptor antagonist) treatment was able to reduce the body weight gain in HFD feeding rats, we will also study if with this treatment, there is a change in the arterial pressure increase observed in HFD rats, as well as in the gene expression of RAS components and inflammatory cytokines in the lamina terminalis, since these genes seem to be increased in different brain areas during HFD. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SA, JESSICA MATHEUS; BARBOSA, RAFAELA MOREIRA; MENANI, JOSE V.; DE LUCA, JR., LAURIVAL ANTONIO; COLOMBARI, EDUARDO; ALMEIDA COLOMBARI, DEBORA SIMOES. Cardiovascular and hidroelectrolytic changes in rats fed with high-fat diet. Behavioural Brain Research, v. 373, NOV 5 2019. (17/10762-6)