Glucocorticoid treatment facilitates development of a metabolic syndrome in ovariectomized Macaca Mulatta fed a high fat diet

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by a cluster of key features, which include abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of elevated glucocorticoid levels on the development of MetS in middle-aged female rhesus monkeys (Macaca Mulatta) after ovariectomy. Six female ovariectomized rhesus monkeys (9–13 years) were randomly assigned to either a control group (normal diet, n = 3) or a group in which MetS was facilitated (n = 3). The MetS group fed with HFD (15% fat) and received oral prednisone acetate treatment (50 mg/day). After 24 months, the GCs treatment was withdrawn with continuation of high-fat feeding fo..