Abstract

    Fast food, containing high fat diet, intake combined with high consumption  of soft drinks, is accused with increases  cardiovascular diseases risk.  Elevated serum level of  asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) has been reported to be associated with endothelial dysfunction that increases atherosclerosis risk factors.
    The current study aimed to investigate the effects of feeding growing rats diet high in both fat and fructose on serum levels of ADMA, NO and endothelin-1. Methods: Twenty four growing Sprague-Dawely rats (60-70 g) were divided into 2 groups (12 rats / group): the first group was fed basal diet, control group, and the second group was fed high fat high fructose diet (HF/HFr diet), 15% beef tallow+5% corn oil along with fructose in drinking water (13% W/V), for 8 weeks. The present results indicated that feeding HF/HFr  diet significantly elevated serum ADMA and endothelin-1 with significant reduction in serum NO, as well as significant increase in serum triacylglycerols (TAG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and atherogenic index (AI),  while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level showed insignificant decrease. Also, serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), were increased, suggesting a diet-induced endothelial dysfunction. Significant elevations in serum resistin, leptin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and total oxidant capacity (TOC) were found in HF/HFr fed rats while serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was significantly decreased  as compared with control. Conclusion: These results show that HF/HFr diet may have created an environment resulting in elevation of serum ADMA and ET-1 and reduction in NO, thus causing impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilatation. Thus, serum ADMA levels could be used to predict the development of cardiovascular diseases in those who are at high-risk to develop these diseases.