Abstract
Background and objective: The Metabolic Syndrome (MS) is suggested to develop from –among other factorsinadequate diet. To explore its pathophysiology, animal models of diet-induced obesity and its comorbidities are often
used, although not all of them produce the same cardiometabolic alterations. Regarding novel therapeutic options,
(-)-epicatechin (EPI), the most abundant polyphenol in cacao exerts several beneficial effects on MS features.
Therefore, we aimed to test the effects of EPI in the cardiometabolic derangements of rats fed with a diet with added,
sugar, saturated fat, added with cholesterol and cholate (Paigen-like diet, PD).
Methods: 4 groups of rats were assessed: normal diet (ND); normal diet + EPI (ND+E); Pagen-like diet (PD) and
Paigen-like diet + EPI (PD+E, prevention group). EPI was administered by gavage (1 mg/kg daily) for 2 weeks. Body
weight, Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), glycemia, triglyceridemia, total and HDL cholesterol were measured at base,
at week 5 and after 2-week period of treatment with EPI (treatment group).
Results: PD induced several markers of MS. EPI induced significative decreases in glycemia, triglyceridemia,
and SBP. EPI raised HDL level without reaching the basal values. EPI treatment provided by 2 weeks after the MS
markers develop (treatment group) induced a considerable weight lost.
Conclusion: The PD assayed in this work, effectively induced MS in rodents that are otherwise resistant to
dietary modifications. EPI resulted in the attenuation of all cardiometabolic alteration previously induced by diet.
These promising re