The impact of sugar-sweetened beverage intake on rat cardiac function
Natasha Driescher,
Danzil E. Joseph,
Veronique R. Human,
Edward Ojuka,
Martin Cour,
Nkanyiso Hadebe,
Dirk Bester,
Jeanine L. Marnewick,
Sandrine Lecour,
Amanda Lochner,
M. Faadiel Essop
Affiliations
Natasha Driescher
Cardio-Metabolic Research Group (CMRG), Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa
Danzil E. Joseph
Cardio-Metabolic Research Group (CMRG), Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa
Veronique R. Human
Cardio-Metabolic Research Group (CMRG), Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa
Edward Ojuka
Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Martin Cour
Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa (HICRA), Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Nkanyiso Hadebe
Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa (HICRA), Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Anaesthesia, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Dirk Bester
Oxidative Stress Research Centre, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, South Africa
Jeanine L. Marnewick
Oxidative Stress Research Centre, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, South Africa; Institute of Biomedical and Microbial Biotechnology, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, South Africa
Sandrine Lecour
Hatter Institute for Cardiovascular Research in Africa (HICRA), Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
Amanda Lochner
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, 7505, South Africa
M. Faadiel Essop
Cardio-Metabolic Research Group (CMRG), Department of Physiological Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa; Corresponding author.
Aims: Although there is evidence linking sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake with the development of cardio-metabolic diseases, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The current study therefore evaluated the effects of SSB consumption by establishing a unique in-house in vivo experimental model. Main methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: a) one consuming a popular local SSB (SSB- Jive), and b) a control group (Control-water) for a period of three and six months (n = 6 per group), respectively. Rats were gavaged on a daily basis with an experimental dosage amounting to half a glass per day (in human terms) (SSB vs. water). Cardiac function was assessed at baseline (echocardiography) and following ex vivo ischemia-reperfusion of the isolated perfused working rat heart. Oral glucose tolerance tests and mitochondrial respiratory analyses were also performed. In addition, the role of non-oxidative glucose pathways (NOGPs), i.e. the polyol pathway, hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) and PKC were assessed. Key findings: These data show that SSB intake: a) resulted in increased weight gain, but did not elicit major effects in terms of insulin resistance and cardiac function after three and six months, respectively; b) triggered myocardial NOGP activation after three months with a reversion after six months; and c) resulted in some impairment in mitochondrial respiratory capacity in response to fatty acid substrate supply after six months. Significance: SSB intake did not result in cardiac dysfunction or insulin resistance. However, early changes at the molecular level may increase risk in the longer term.
