Abstract
Few studies have been performed in humans to investigate the effect of caloric restriction and consequent biomass reduction on hemorheologic parameters and their results are not concurrent.
In a previous paper we analyzed the rheological behavior of the blood in the IIMb/Fmβ inbred obese and hypertriglyceridemic strain in relation to its eumetabolic control [G.N. Hernández, C. Dabin, M.C. Gayol and M.L. Rasia, Hemorheological variables in a rat model of hypertriglyceridemic obesity and diabetes, Veterinary Res. Commun. 26 (2002), 625–635]. In this obese line it was shown a higher blood and plasma viscosity and an impaired red cell deformability compared to the eumetabolic one. The increased plasma viscosity was significantly and positively associated with fibrinogenaemia and lipidaemia and the impaired erythrocyte deformability with cholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridaemia.
The present study has been designed to find out the effect of a 30% food restriction on several biochemical and hemorheological parameters of these obese rats. Restriction resulted in a mean body weight 45% lower than ad libitum controls, preventing obesity and hypertriglyceridemia with minimal effect on glucose metabolism.
Regarding hemorheological parameters, caloric restriction led to a decrease in blood viscosity, due to the reduction in erythrocyte concentration, but not because of any improvement in erythrocyte deformability.