High-fat diet effects on metabolic responses to chronic stress

High-fat diets and chronic stress are prevalent risk factors for various chronic diseases in modern societies.

This study investigated the effect of high-fat diet on glucose-related metabolic responses to chronic foot-shock stress.

Male rats were divided into high-fat diet (containing 54.21% saturated and 44.89% unsaturated fatty acids) and normal diet groups and then into stress and non-stress subgroups. The diets were applied for 5 weeks, and stress was induced during the last week of the diet course. Plasma levels of metabolic parameters, HOMA-IR index, intra-abdominal fat weight, and islets' insulin secretion were assessed.

High-fat diet increased abdominal fat weight and plasma leptin, and insulin levels in response to stress without affecting HOMA-IR index and islets' insulin secretion.

High proportion of unsaturated fat may not lead to deleterious metabolic responses; however combined with chronic stress has a synergistic and adverse effect on visceral adiposity and results in elevated plasma leptin.