Effects of high-carbohydrate and high fat diet on formation of foam cells and expression of TNF-alpha in Rattus novergicus.

ABSTRACT

AIM: to examine the role of high carbohydrate and high fat diet on formation of foam cells and expression of TNFalpha, an early stage of atherosclerosis. METHOD: three months old male Rattus Novergicus strain Wistar were allocated into 3 groups, normal diet group (GI, n=8), high carbohydrate diet group (GII, n=8), and high fat diet group (G III, n=8). Those groups received an isoenergetic diet but contained different percentage of carbohydrate and fat for 12 weeks. The rest of the food was measured daily to calculate the calorie intake. The body weight was measured weekly. At the end of study, blood samples were taken using cardiac puncture to examine lipid profiles and random blood sugars. RESULTS: levels of blood glucose significantly increased in GII compared to the GI (281.87 +/- 39.66 mg/dl vs 192.5 +/- 1.4 mg/dl, p=0.002). Group II and G III showed increased of triglyseride compared to GI (138.0 +/- 47.15 vs 85.5 +/-20.3, p=0.02; 163.62 +/- 41.77 vs 85.5 +/- 20.3, p=0.00, respectively). Level of LDL significantly increased in G III compared to GI (72 +/- 35.6 vs 27.0 +/- 8.9, p=0.00). No statistical difference in level of HDL among the three groups. Level of TNFalpha significantly increased in GII and G III compared to GI (19.13 +/- 3.68 vs 2.5 +/- 1.4, p=0.00; 23.6 +/- 5.58 vs 2.5 +/- 1.4, p=0.00, respectively). The number of foam cells was significantly increased in GII and G III compared to GI (7.18 +/- 5.28 vs 1.2 +/- 1.4, p=0.00; 9.91 +/- 6.26 vs 1.2 +/- 1.4, p=0.00, respectively). The foam cell had strong correlation with triglyseride level and TNFalpha (r=0.696, p=0.00; r=0.618, p=0.00, respectively). CONCLUSION: this result shows that high carbohydrate and high fat diet potentially increase the risk factor of atherosclerosis. Both diets induced the inflammatory process and increase foam cells formation, are in the early stage of atherosclerosis.