A Review of Methods for Metabolic Syndrome Induction in Rats: A Practical Guide Using High-Carbohydrate Diet

Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, increased levels of fasting glucose, and obesity, conditions that often occur together. One common method for inducing metabolic syndrome in rats is diet manipulation, mimicking unhealthy dietary patterns in humans. This review aimed to provide a practical guide for creating a rat model of metabolic syndrome by administrating a high-carbohydrate diet. Metabolic syndrome induction by administrating a high-carbohydrate diet is a simple, common, rapid, practical, and cheap method that does not require advanced equipment. In rat models of metabolic syndrome created by the administration of high-carbohydrate diets, parameters such as the type of carbohydrate used (fructose or sucrose), the dose and duration of sugar administration (5 to 48 weeks), the administration route (drinking water or solid food), and model verification parameters (obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, insulin resistance, and hyperglycemia) should be taken into consideration. According to the practical guide developed in this study, administering 20-30% sucrose in the drinking water of rats for 10-15 weeks can reliably create a metabolic syndrome model confirmed by elevated fasting serum levels of triglycerides, insulin, and glucose, as well as insulin resistance. If the administration of 20-30% sucrose in drinking water continues for at least 25 weeks (up to 40 weeks), a rat model of metabolic syndrome will be created presenting with obesity and hypertension. It is noteworthy that the confirmation of model creation requires comparison with both basic conditions and control rats.