LAUSR

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), a leading non-communicable disease (NCD), has become a pronounced health problem. It is typified by obesity, insulin insensitivity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, with obesity playing a central pathogenic role. Excessive adipose tissue accumulation promotes chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and widespread metabolic dysregulation, significantly increasing the risk of systemic diseases. We established a MetS rat model via a high-fat/high-glucose (HFHG) diet. Rats were assigned to three groups: a normal control (Control), a MetS model (MetS), and a MetS group was treated with Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (MetS + Omega-3 PUFAs). Compared to Controls, MetS rats exhibited marked increases in body weight (over 20%), triglycerides (TG), insulin (INS), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), confirming successful model induction. Histological analysis revealed pronounced aortic endothelial fibrosis in MetS rats, which was notably alleviated by omega-3 PUFA treatment. Oxidative-stress markers were significantly improved in the "MetS + Omega-3 PUFAs" group relative to the untreated MetS group. Additionally, lipid parameters (TG, TC, LDL-C) and insulin levels were substantially reduced, approaching those of the Control group. Collectively, these findings indicate that omega-3 PUFAs mitigate oxidative stress, correct metabolic dysfunction, and attenuate vascular fibrosis in MetS rats, underscoring their therapeutic potential in managing dysfunctional metabolism.