Oliveira, Daiane Teixeira deFernandes, Isabela da CostaSousa, Graziele Galdino deSantos, Talita Adriana Pereira dosPaiva, Nívia Carolina Nogueira deCarneiro, Cláudia MartinsEvangelista, Elísio AlbertoBarboza, Natália RochaCota, Renata Guerra de Sá2021-09-092021-09-092020OLIVEIRA, D. T. de et al. High-sugar diet leads to obesity and metabolic diseases in ad libitum-fed rats irrespective of caloric intake. Archives of Endocrinology Metabolism, v. 64, p. 71-81, 2020. Disponível em: <https://www.aem-sbem.com/media/uploads/ABEM_2019-0133.pdf>. Acesso em: 10 jun. 2021.2359-4292http://www.repositorio.ufop.br/jspui/handle/123456789/13684Objective: Provide a comprehensive view of the events surrounding the sugar consumption, under conditions of energy equivalence; through the analysis of behavioral aspects of intake, and of biochemical, metabolic and physiological parameters, as well as the effect of this nutrient on the plasticity of adipose tissue. Materials and methods: Newly weaned male Wistar rats were classified in two groups and subjected to the following normocaloric diets: standard chow diet or to high-sugar diet (HSD) ad libitum for 18 weeks. Results: The animals submitted to the HSD were associated with a lower caloric intake during the 18 weeks of experimentation. However, the HSD induced a significant increase in body weight, white adipose tissue weight, adiposity index, Lee index, and the levels of triglycerides and very low-density lipoprotein in the serum. In addition, it induced glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and compensatory increase of insulin secretion by pancreatic β-cells. Also increased heart rate and induced hyperplasia, and hypertrophy of retroperitoneal visceral adipose tissue. In the liver, the HSD was associated with increased hepatic lipid content (i.e., triglycerides and cholesterol) and hepatomegaly. Conclusion: The post-weaning consumption of HSD induces an adaptive response in metabolism; however, such an event is not enough to reverse the homeostatic imbalance triggered by the chronic consumption of this macronutrient, leading to the development of metabolic syndrome, irrespective of caloric intake. These findings corroborate recent evidence indicating that sugar is a direct contributor to metabolic diseases independent of a positive energy balance.en-USabertoEnergy consumptionWistar ratsArtigo publicado em periodicoThis article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License. Fonte: o PDF do artigo.https://doi.org/10.20945/2359-3997000000199