Effects of the Ingestion of Flaxseed (Linum Usitatissimum L.) Oil and Physical Exercise on the Body Weight, Glycemic and Lipid Profiles of a Rat Model Developed for the Study of Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is a disorder that involves a series of symptoms that are associated to obesity and metabolic modifications, and increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes Mellitus. The study of new possibilities of non-drug therapies is fundamental for the primary prevention of MetSyn. The aim of this work was to evaluate the responses of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with lipid changes induced by the administration of dexamethasone (DEXA) to the ingestion of flaxseed oil associated or not associated with physical exercise regarding the body weight, and glycemic and lipid profiles, in comparison with the drug treatment with metformin. After 24 days of experiment, the 20-week-old animals were submitted to the glucose tolerance test (GTT) and lipid profile evaluation. The results showed that the administration of DEXA in SHR animals promoted a framework of hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and attenuated the insulin resistance common in the SHR, thus producing an experimental model with several components of the human MetSyn. The effects on weight gain indicated an important preventive action of flaxseed oil and exercise on the weight evolution of SHR-DEXA animals. Furthermore, the ingestion of flaxseed oil associated or not with exercise promoted significant improvements on hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance in these animals. Regarding the lipid profile, the treatments with flaxseed oil and exercise promoted reductions in triglyceride levels and HDL-c increase; however, the combination of these two non-drug interventions was more effective than the isolated treatments.