Fat and cholesterol diet induced lipid metabolic disorders and insulin resistance in rabbit

Lipid disorder has been found to result in insulin resistance (IR). IR often is associated with other cardiovascular risk factors. However, the pathogenesis of human IR is not completely understood.

The present study was designed to examine if rabbits were fed with a diet containing high fat and high-cholesterol diet (HFCD) could develop lipid disorder and subsequently IR. Male Japanese white rabbits were fed either a normal chow diet or HFCD for 20 weeks. Plasma levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), glucose, and insulin were measured. To evaluate glucose metabolism, we performed an intravenous glucose tolerance test. In addition, we compared adipose tissue accumulation and aortic atherosclerosis lesions in HFCD-fed rabbits with those in control rabbits.

In HFCD-fed rabbits there was an increase in plasma levels of TC and TG as well as visceral adipose tissue accumulation. Severe aortic atherosclerotic lesions were found in HFCD-fed rabbits. Although there were no differences in body weight, plasma insulin and blood pressure between the two groups, HFCD-fed rabbits showed higher insulin IR index compared to control rabbits.

Our results showed that HFCD induced IR, increased adipose accumulation and atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits, suggesting that the HFCD-fed rabbits can serve as a model for the research on human IR and lipid metabolism abnormalities.