Cardiovascular changes and neuronal activation induced by furosemide associated with captopril in rats fed with a high-fat diet

• Grant number: 19/19164-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2020
• End date: December 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Débora Simões de Almeida Colombari
• Grantee: Hannah Fernandes Oisiovici
• 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

In recent decades obesity has become a worldwide epidemic. Excess adipose tissue favors the development of associated diseases such as high blood pressure and also causes changes in hydroelectrolytic balance, which may also affect blood pressure. Data from the literature show that obesity activates the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and we have recently demonstrated that rats fed a high-fat diet (46% fat from calories) have a potentiation of thirst and sodium appetite induced by the association of a diuretic, furosemide and the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor captopril, which induces these behaviors by activation of the RAS. In addition, data from the literature have shown that thirst and sodium appetite can be potentiated by blood pressure reductions and since the FURO + CAP protocol promotes a slight reduction in blood pressure, one of the goals of the project will be to exclude the possibility that potentiation in water and sodium intake previously observed in the FURO + CAP protocol in obese rats is due to higher drops in blood pressure in these animals. Another open question is the brain areas involved with the highest sodium and water intake observed after this protocol in obese rats. Therefore, another objective is to verify the effects on c-Fos (neuronal activation marker) expression in the regions of the lamina terminalis regions in rats fed 6 weeks of high-fat diet and submitted to FURO+CAP. We expect with this project to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the higher intake of water and sodium in rats fed with high-fat diet and submitted to the protocol FURO + CAP.