The Iberian pig fed with high-fat diet: a model of renal disease in obesity and metabolic syndrome

Background The pathogenesis of renal disease in the context of overweight/obesity, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance is not completely understood. This may be due to the lack of a definitive animal model of disease, which limits our understanding of obesity-induced renal damage. We evaluated the changes in renal histology and lipid deposits induced by obesity in a model of insulin resistance: the Iberian swine fed with fat-enriched food. Methods Twenty-eight female sows were randomized to standard (SD) or high-fat diet (HFD: 6.8% of saturated fat) for 100 days. Weight, adiposity, analytics, oral glucose tolerance tests, and measured renal function were determined. Renal histology and lipid deposits in renal tissue were analyzed. Results Animals on HFD developed obesity, hypertension, high levels of LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin resistance, and glomerular hyperfiltration. No animal developed overt diabetes. Animals on HFD showed “diabetoid changes”, including mesangial expansion [21.40% ± 4 vs.13.20% ± 4.0, p