The effect of consumption of different sugar sweetened beverages by immature female rats on the development of adiposity and related metabolic disorders

Obesity is associated with increase risk of metabolic syndrome. As the prevalence of obesity has increased; the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages particularly, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), by adolescence has also increased. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of consumption of different sugars on the development of adiposity and associated metabolic disorders. Immature female Sprague-Dawley rats (age 28 days) were randomized into treatment groups consisting of deionized distilled water (ddH2O) sweetened with 13% w/v

1. Glucose;

1. Sucrose;
2. Fructose;
3. HFCS-55 or
4. Control (no sugar) for 8 weeks.

Rats fed HFCS-55 had higher (p<0.05) final body weight and fat pad (retroperitoneal and gonadal) weights compared to control, as well as, glucose fed animals. A negative correlation (r2=−0.89, p<0.05) between food intake and beverage consumption suggested that rats compensated for additional calories provided by beverages by decreasing food intake. Increase in fat pad weight may be due to the ability of the sugar to directly stimulate lipogenesis or adipogenesis. The increase in fat pad weight had no effect on the serum lipid profile or fasting blood glucose. The results showed that consumption of HFCS sweetened beverages played a role in weight gain and thus may be a contributing dietary factor in the increase prevalence of obesity.