Endocrine and metabolic function in male Carioca High-conditioned Freezing rats

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Metabolic Physiology
• Animal Models

Background:

• Anxiety disorders are prevalent and associated with various health issues.
• The endocrine and metabolic consequences of chronic anxiety are not fully understood.
• Carioca High-conditioned Freezing (CHF) rats provide a model to study anxiety-related physiological changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively characterize the endocrine and metabolic profiles of CHF rats.
• To investigate the impact of anxiety on key hormones and metabolic parameters.
• To explore the relationship between anxiety and the development of metabolic dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of serum hormone levels (corticosterone, leptin, testosterone, T3, T4, TSH, insulin).
• Assessment of body weight, food intake, and adipose tissue depot weights (retroperitoneal, epididymal, brown adipose tissue).
• Measurement of metabolic parameters including serum lipids, glucose, oxygen consumption, and brown adipose tissue (BAT) enzyme activity.

Main Results:

• CHF rats exhibited elevated corticosterone and leptin, alongside reduced testosterone and T3 levels.
• Despite unchanged body weight and food intake, CHF rats showed increased retroperitoneal and epididymal fat depots.
• Elevated serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and fasting glucose were observed in CHF rats, with reduced oxygen consumption and BAT D2 activity.

Conclusions:

• Anxiety in CHF rats is associated with significant endocrine alterations, including hormonal imbalances and increased adiposity.
• These endocrine and metabolic changes suggest that anxiety can impair physiological functions.
• The findings indicate that anxiety may be a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases.