Metabolic Alterations Associated With Diet and Hypertension in Rats

Unhealthy diet and hypertension constitute major risk factors for the development of cardiometabolic diseases. However, the direct effects of dietary components and high blood pressure on metabolic profiles remain poorly understood. We evaluated concentrations of amino acids and nutrients in the plasma and tissues of animal models subjected to high-fat and high-disaccharide diet without excessive caloric intake, in salt-resistant rats on high salt intake, in spontaneously hypertensive rats, and in angiotensin II-induced hypertensive rats. Using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, we identified changes in several analytes across models. We found that a high-fat diet increased tissue levels of methylglycines (betaine, sarcosine) and glycine, while high salt intake and hypertension were associated with a distinct reduction of methyl/glycine species and the accumulation of taurine in the tissues. We further observed tissue-specific alterations. For instance, alanine was decreased in the kidneys of rats on high salt and in hypertensive models. Beta-alanine was higher in the lung and renal cortex of rats on high salt, but lower in the cardiovascular system of hypertensive models. A high-sugar diet increased circulating levels of betaine and taurine, although its impact on tissues was less pronounced. In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive evaluation of organic solutes in different animal models and highlights the diverse metabolic alterations associated with diet and hypertension. Further research is required to explore the significance of these findings and their potential implications for understanding disease mechanisms.