This Article Full Text Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Baylis, C. Articles by Gladfelter, W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Baylis, C. Articles by Gladfelter, W.

(Hypertension. 1996;27:926-932.)
© 1996 American Heart Association, Inc.

Articles

Hypothalamic Lesions Induce Obesity and Sex-Dependent Glomerular Damage and Increases in Blood Pressure in Rats

Chris Baylis; Lennie Samsell; Lorraine Racusen; Wil Gladfelter

From the Department of Physiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, and Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical School (L.R.), Baltimore, Md.

Correspondence to Chris Baylis, Department of Physiology, West Virginia University, PO Box 9229, Morgantown, WV 26506-9229. E-mail baylis@wvnvms.wvnet.edu.

Abstract Placement of two symmetrical lesions in the ventromedial hypothalamus of the rat causes massive overeating and obesity. We have studied male (n=8) and female (n=5) Munich-Wistar rats 7 months after induction of obesity and compared them with age-matched controls. Body weight and kidney weight were greater in control males versus females (396±7 and 1.5±0.1 g versus 229±4 and 1.0±0.1 g, respectively; both P<.001). Both obese males and females were heavier than lean counterparts (592±30 and 361±19 g, both P<.001), whereas kidney weight was similar between obese and control rats of each sex (obese males, 1.5±0.1 g; obese females, 1.1±0.1 g). Blood pressure was higher in obese versus control males; there were no differences between other groups. Single-nephron glomerular filtration rate was similar in control females and males and obese females but depressed in obese males. Glomerular blood pressure was normal in all groups. Urinary protein excretion and the percentage of sclerosed glomeruli were similar in control females and males and obese females but elevated in obese males. Plasma triglyceride levels were elevated in obesity, particularly in males. We conclude that hypothalamic lesioning induces overeating and obesity and selectively in the male causes hypertension and glomerular damage as well as declines in renal function. This injury is not hemodynamically mediated (glomerular blood pressure is normal) but may be related to the elevation in plasma triglyceride levels, which has previously been causally linked to glomerular damage in genetically obese rats.

Key Words: lipids • glomerulus • renal hemodynamics • obesity • hypothalamus

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. A. Griffin, H. Kramer, and A. K. Bidani Adverse renal consequences of obesity Am J Physiol Renal Physiol, April 1, 2008; 294(4): F685 - F696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Huang, C. Morisseau, J. Wang, T. Yang, J. R. Falck, B. D. Hammock, and M.-H. Wang Increasing or stabilizing renal epoxyeicosatrienoic acid production attenuates abnormal renal function and hypertension in obese rats Am J Physiol Renal Physiol, July 1, 2007; 293(1): F342 - F349. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Plut, C. Ribiere, Y. Giudicelli, and J.-P. Dausse Hypothalamic Leptin Receptor and Signaling Molecule Expressions in Cafeteria Diet-Fed Rats J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., November 1, 2003; 307(2): 544 - 549. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Plut, C. Ribiere, Y. Giudicelli, and J.-P. Dausse Gender Differences in Hypothalamic Tyrosine Hydroxylase and alpha 2-Adrenoceptor Subtype Gene Expression in Cafeteria Diet-Induced Hypertension and Consequences of Neonatal Androgenization J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., August 1, 2002; 302(2): 525 - 531. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]