Evaluation of indicators of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in rats depending on the type of high-calorie diet

BACKGROUND: Recently, there has been an increase in the number of cardiovascular diseases and mortality rates among the population. This may be due to a violation of metabolic processes in the body, in particular lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, caused by an unbalanced high-calorie diet.PURPOSE: To study and compare the main indicators of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in a fructose-fortified diet and a diet with a high fat content under experimental conditions.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on outbred white rats, males, which were divided into 3 groups — a control group and two experimental ones, 15 individuals in each. The rats of the first experimental group were kept on a high-fat diet, the second experimental group was assigned a fructose-enriched diet for 35 days. The control group was on a balanced diet. We studied the changes in the parameters of carbohydrate (glucose, insulin, insulin resistance indices) and lipid (cholesterol-, high- and low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides) metabolism on the 21st, 35th and 60th days of the experiment. The results were statistically processed using the Mann-Whitney test. The study design is retrospective.RESULTS: During the experiment, an increase in the content of glucose, insulin, and lipid metabolism parameters was observed in the experimental groups. Moreover, the content of glucose and insulin in a fructose-fortified diet increased by 18.7% (p = 0,009), 22.2% (p = 0,076), 21.5% (p = 0,009) and 50% (p = 0,009), 62.5% (p = 0,009), 106.3% (p = 0,009) over the days of the experiment, respectively. The increase in lipid metabolism was more pronounced in the experimental group, which had an increased fat content in the diet, already in the first time period of the experiment: cholesterol — by 80,8% (p = 0,009), low-density lipoproteins — by 100% (p = 0,009), triglycerides — by 120% (p = 0,009), high-density lipoproteins — by 60.9% (p = 0,009).CONCLUSION: The experimental data obtained show changes in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism due to increased consumption of fats and fructose.