Chronic mild stress induces variations in locomotive behavior and metabolic rates in high fat fed rats

ABSTRACT

Chronic mild stress (CMS) has been often associated to the pathogenesis of manydiseases including obesity. Indeed, visceral obesity has been linked to the developmentof metabolic syndrome features and constitutes a serious risk factor for cardiovasculardiseases and diabetes. In order to study possible mechanistic relationshipsbetween stress and the onset of obesity, we developed during 11 weeks a model ofhigh-fat dietary intake (cafeteria diet) together with a CMS regimen in male Wistarrats. During the experimental period, basal metabolism by indirect calorimetry, rectaltemperature, food intake, and locomotive markers were specifically analyzed.After 77 days, animals were sacrificed and body, adiposity and plasma biochemicalprofiles were also examined. As expected, cafeteria diet in unstressed animals induceda significative increase in body weight, adiposity, and insulin resistance markers.Locomotive variables, specifically distance, rearing and meander, were significantlyincreased by CMS on the first weeks of stress. Moreover, this model of CMS in Wistarrats increased significantly energy expenditure, and apparently interplayed withthe dietary treatment on the muscle weight/fat weight ratio. In summary, this chronicstress model did not affected weight gain in control and high fat fed animals, butinduced an interaction concerning the metabolic muscle/fat repartitioning (AU)

RESUMEN

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