Renal hemodynamic and histological consequences of diets high in unsaturated fat, protein or sucrose in obese Zucker rats.

The objective of this study was to determine the long-term effect of different dietary macronutrients on renal hemodynamics in obese Zucker rats. Female obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats were allowed to eat control chow (ObCL) or diets high in unsaturated fat (ObHF), protein (ObHP) or sucrose (ObHS) for a period of 24 weeks. Lean chow fed (LnCL) Zucker rats served as lean controls. After 24 weeks of dietary treatments, glomerular filtration rate (GFR, ml/mg/g, mean +/- SE) of ObHP and ObHS (0.38 +/- 0.06 and 0.27 +/- 0.05) rats were significantly (p < 0.005) lower than ObCL (0.74 +/- 0.05) and ObHF (0.88 +/- 0.1) rats. In a similar manner, the effective renal plasma flow (ERPF, ml/min/g) was significantly (p < 0.005) lower in ObHP and ObHS (1.28 +/- 0.16 and 1.04 +/- 0.2) than ObCL (2.46 +/- 0.31) or ObHF (2.85 +/- 0.25) rats. The ObHF rats appeared "protected" since they had similr GFR and ERPF but less proteinuria and glucosuria than ObCL rats. Histological examination of renal tissue from ObHP and ObHS fed rats revealed significant (p < 0.005) increase in sclerosis relative to ObCL rats. The sclerosis of renal tissue in ObHF was minimized and was found to be similar to ObCL rats. The mean arterial pressure and heart rates were similar in all dietary treated obese Zucker rats. When comparing obese and lean controls, ObCL rats had significantly (p < 0.03) lower GFR (0.74 +/- 0.05 vs 0.92 +/- 0.05) but similar ERPF (2.46 +/- 0.3 vs 2.82 +/- 0.12) than LnCL rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)