Telmisartan prevents high-fat diet-induced hypertension and decreases perirenal fat in rats

Abstract

We sought to investigate the effects of telmisartan on high-fat diet-induced hypertension and to explore the possible underlying mechanisms. Rats receiving high-fat diet were randomly divided into two groups, the telmisartan group (n = 9) and the high-fat diet group (n = 10). The control group consisted of age-matched rats on a regular diet (n = 10). At the end of the treatment, the body weight, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and serum adiponectin levels of all rats were examined, and their visceral fat was extracted and weighed. Our results showed that telmisartan improved insulin resistance and dyslipidemia and increased serum adiponectin levels. Telmisartan also lowered both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, and decreased the accumulation of perirenal fat associated with high-fat diet. Furthermore, telmisartan increased adiponectin mRNA expression in the perirenal fat. Correlation analysis showed that both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were positively correlated with perirenal fat. These effects of telmisartan may be mediated through decreases in perirenal fat and contributed to the improvement of perirenal fat function. Our findings suggested a strong link between perirenal fat and high-fat diet-induced hypertension, and identified telmisartan as a potential drug for the treatment of obesity-related hypertension.

Keywords: adiponectin; high-fat diet; hypertension; perirenal fat; telmisartan.

Fig. 1. Effects of telmisartan treatment on blood pressure (A) and serum level of adiponectin (B).

The rats were treated with normal diet (the control group, n = 10), high-fat diet only (the HF group, n = 10) and high-fat diet with telmisartan (the HFT group, n = 9) *P < 0.05. SBP: systolic blood pressure; DBP: diastolic blood pressure.

Fig. 2. Effects of telmisartan on weights and adiponectin mRNA of perirenal and epididymis fat.

The rats were treated with normal diet (the control group, n = 10), high-fat diet only (the HF group, n = 10) and high-fat diet with telmisartan (the HFT group, n = 9). *P < 0.05.

Fig. 3. The linear correlation and scatter diagrams of blood pressure and body weight, and blood pressure and weight of visceral fat.

Scatter diagram of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and additional perirenal fat are shown in A. Scatter diagram of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and additional perirenal fat are shown in B. Scatter diagram of SBP and body weight are shown in C.