Diet-Induced Rabbit Models for the Study of Metabolic Syndrome

Simple Summary In recent years, obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) have become more prevalent owing to increased unhealthy habits and sedentary lifestyles, becoming public health problems. Experimental studies have allowed us to explore the mechanisms underlying the pathophysiological processes related to MetS. Several research protocols can be carried out with minimal staff, maintenance, and resources in animals such as rabbits. High-fat diets enriched with other components, mainly cholesterol and sugars, result in the rapid development of hypercholesterolemia and vascular alterations as a response to dietary manipulation. Furthermore, other experimental models, including transgenic rabbits with altered expression of specific genes, have been used to decrease the duration of experimental studies and increase the response to diet. Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) have become a growing problem for public health and clinical practice, given their increased prevalence due to the rise of sedentary lifestyles and excessive caloric intake from processed food rich in fat and sugar. There are several definitions of MetS, but most of them describe it as a cluster of cardiovascular and metabolic alterations such as abdominal obesity, reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, glucose intolerance, and hypertension. Diagnosis requires three out of these five criteria to be present. Despite the increasing prevalence of MetS, the understanding of its pathophysiology and relationship with disease is still limited. Indeed, the pathological consequences of MetS components have been reported individually, but investigations that have studied the effect of the combination of MeS components on organ pathological remodeling are almost nonexistent. On the other hand, animal models are a powerful tool in understanding the mechanisms that underlie pathological processes such as MetS. In the first part of the review, we will briefly overview the advantages, disadvantages and pathological manifestations of MetS in porcine, canine, rodent, and rabbit diet-induced experimental models. Then, we will focus on the different dietary regimes that have been used in rabbits to induce MetS by means of high-fat, cholesterol, sucrose or fructose-enriched diets and their effects on physiological systems and organ remodeling. Finally, we will discuss the use of dietary regimes in different transgenic strains and special rabbit breeds.