High-fat diet promotes hypothalamic inflammation in animal models: a systematic review

Hypothalamic inflammation and dysfunction may be induced by high-fat diets. However, the mechanisms involved in this process have not been fully elucidated.

To evidence, in animal models, of how a high-fat diet influence the mechanisms involved in hypothalamic inflammation.

Scopus, PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Embase databases were searched.

The exclusion criteria were human studies, studies with medicinal products or other substances not related to food, paper reviews, studies that used a surgical intervention or an intervention with food to reverse hypothalamic inflammation, and studies with genetically modified animals. The identified studies were evaluated according to the following inclusion criteria: animal studies, studies in which a control group was included in the experimental design, and studies in which markers of inflammation in the hypothalamus were evaluated.

A total of 322 studies were found, of which 9 met the inclusion criteria for a systematic review, conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, and were included in this review.

The exposure of rodents to high-fat diets promoted an increase in levels of several pro-inflammatory cytokines and other proteins involved in the inflammatory process in the hypothalamus. This process was associated with increased glial cell activity.