High-fat diet promotes coagulation and endothelial activation in Sprague Dawley rats: Short-term effects of combined oral contraceptives

Background

Combined oral contraceptives (COCs), use in individuals are associated with increased risk of thrombotic events. This highlights the significance of assessing the impact of COC on promoting coagulation and endothelial activation in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed Sprague Dawley rats.

Methods

Twenty (20) five-weeks-old female Sprague Dawley rats weighing between 150 and 200 g were subjected to both LFD and HFD-feeding for 8-weeks to determine its influence on basic metabolic status, hemostatic profile, hemodynamic parameters (blood pressure and heart rate), as well as selected biomarkers of coagulation (tissue factor and D-dimer) and endothelial activation (Von Willebrand factor and nitric oxide). Thereafter HFD-fed animals were treated with receive high dose combined oral contraceptive (HCOC) and low dose combine oral contraceptive (LCOC) for 6 weeks.

Results

Our results showed that beyond weight gain, HFD-feeding was associated with hyperglycemia, increased mean arterial pressure, and reduced nitric oxide levels when compared with LFD group (p < 0.05). Interestingly, treatment with high dose of COC for 6-weeks did not significantly alter atherothrombotic markers (p > 0.05). However, this study is not without limitation as regulation of these markers remains to be confirmed within the cardiac tissues or endothelial cells of these animals.

Conclusion

HFD-feeding orchestrate the concomitant release of pro-coagulants and endothelial activation markers in rats leading to haemostatic imbalance and endothelial dysfunction. Short-term treatment with COC shows no detrimental effects in these HFD-fed rats. Although in terms of clinical relevance, our findings depict the notion that the risk of CVD in association with COC may depend on the dosage and duration of use among other factors especially in certain conditions. However, additional studies are required to confirm these findings, especially long-term effects of this treatment within the cardiac tissues or endothelial cells of these animals in certain conditions relating to postmenopausal state.