Obesity-induced hypertension develops in young rats independently of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system

A correlation exists between obesity and hypertension. In the currently available models of diet-induced obesity, the treatment of rats with a high fat (HF) diet does not begin until adulthood. Our aim was to develop and characterize a model of pre-pubescent obesity-induced hypertension. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a HF diet (35% fat) for 10 weeks, beginning at age 3 weeks. Blood pressure was measured by tail-cuff, and a terminal blood sample was obtained to measure fasting blood glucose, insulin, plasma renin, aldosterone, thiobarbitutic acid reactive substances (TBARS), and free 8-isoprostanes levels. The vascular reactivity in the aorta was assessed using a myograph. Blood pressure was increased in rats fed the HF diet (HF, 161 +/- 2 mm Hg vs. control, 137 +/- 2 mm Hg, P < 0.05). Blood glucose (HF, 155 +/- 4 mg/dL vs. control, 123 +/- 5 mg/dL, P < 0.05), insulin (HF, 232 +/- 63 pM vs. control, 60 +/- 11 pM, P < 0.05), TBARS (expressed as nM of malondialdehyde [MDA]/ml [HF, 1.8 +/- 0.37 nM MDA/ml vs. control 1.05 +/- 0.09 nM MDA/ml, P < 0.05]), and free 8-isoprostanes (HF, 229 +/- 68 pg/ml vs. control, 112 +/- 9 pg/ml, P < 0.05) levels were elevated in the HF diet group. Interestingly, plasma renin and aldosterone levels were not different between the groups. The maximum vasoconstriction to phenylephrine (10(-4) M) was increased in the HF diet group (HF, 26.1 +/- 1.5 mN vs. control 22.3 +/- 1.2 mN, P < 0.05). In conclusion, pre-pubescent rats become hypertensive and have increased oxidative stress and enhanced vasoconstriction when fed a HF diet. Surprisingly, this occurs without the increase in renin or aldosterone levels seen in the adult models of diet-induced obesity.