title: Felodipine downregulates serum interleukin-18 levels in rats with fructose-induced metabolic syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Human studies suggest that calcium-channel blockers have cardiovascular protection besides reducing blood pressure, and interleukin-18 (IL-18) levels which are elevated in obese population are associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS). The purpose of this research was to study the change of serum IL-18 levels and the effect of felodipine on it in high-fructose diet-fed rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this research, 30 Wistar male rats were randomized into 3 groups. A control group (no.=12) was fed with normal feeds, and high-fructose diet was given to a fructose group and a flodioine group (no.=9 in each group). All animals were fed for a period of 32 weeks, during which body weight and systolic blood pressure (BP) were measured once every 4 weeks. Felodipine (5 mg/kg/d) was then administered by gavage daily for 6 weeks to the felodipine group. Before and after treatment with felodipine, fasting plasma lipid, blood glucose, plasma insulin, and serum IL-18 were detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body weight, systolic BP, triglycerides, fasting insulin, and the R-value of homeostasis model (HOMA-R) were significantly increased in high-fructose rats (p<0.01). Serum IL-18 levels were elevated and had significant positive correlation with HOMA-R in rats with fructose-induced MetS (p<0.01). We also found that felodipine may decrease HOMA-R and serum IL-18 levels besides reducing blood pressure (p<0.05, p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-18 plays an important role in the development of MetS, while felodipine exerts an anti-inflammatory effect on rats with fructose-induced MetS by downregulating serum IL-18 levels.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Public Health, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: X-P
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: H-W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: S-S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015736:Felodipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005632:Fructose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D007328:Insulin; D020382:Interleukin-18; D014280:Triglycerides; D005632:Fructose; D002784:Cholesterol; D015736:Felodipine