Hemodynamic effects of weight reduction in the obese rat

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The effect of defined increments of weight loss on hemodynamics was investigated in conscious, unrestrained, spontaneously obese rats. Obese rats were subjected to a calorically restricted diet and were used for experimentation on achieving a 10, 20, or 30% reduction in body weight. After monitoring resting blood pressure and heart rate, radioactive microspheres were infused for determination of blood flow distribution. Of 10 organs sampled, only heart, liver kidneys, and 2 adipose tissue depots exhibited significant decreases in weight associated with body weight reduction. Mean arterial blood pressure remained unchanged, while stroke volume, left ventricular work, and cardiac output decreased signficantly. Blood flow decreased to kidneys, testes, and adipose tissue through a 30% reduction in body weight, but the fractional distribution of cardiac output decreased only to adipose tissue. The large decreases in renal and adipose tissue blood flow during weight reduction may contribute to the associated decrease in cardiac output. Of those vascular beds examined, both absolute and relative blood flow decreased only to adipose tissue, thus denoting the influence of fat mass on hemodynamics during obesity.