Introduction: Obesity alters several metabolic activities, subsequently leading to the development of cardiovascular diseases. The insulin resistance-induced obesity stimulates vasodilatation and vasoconstriction imbalance, which ends up in cardiac vascular remodeling. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of obesity in cardiac diseases with a focus on inflammatory mediators associated with endothelial dysfunction.
Materials and methods: Rats (3 months old, weighing 200 g) were divided into control (n=6) and the obese groups, which included rats fed on a high-fat diet (HFD, n=6 in each subgroup) for 1 month (OB1), 2 months (OB2), and 4 months (OB4). Then, the rats were sacrificed, and their hearts were harvested for histological quantification as well as the quantification of the mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators, eNOS, and ppET-1 by reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Sirius Red staining was performed to assess vascular remodeling, while immunohistochemistry of CD68 was performed to assess the localization of macrophage.
Results: HFD-induced obesity was significantly manifested in the obese groups relative to that in the control group. It was followed by an increase in the mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators in the obese groups when compared to that in the control group. Long-term obesity promoted vascular remodeling, which was noted in the OB4 group, along with downregulation of the eNOS mRNA expression and the upregulation of the ppET-1 mRNA expression.
Conclusion: Obesity associated with inflammation and vascular remodeling in the heart.