Disruption Of Mesothelial Connections To The Spleen Inhibits Splenic Antiinflammatory Responses And Protects From The Development Of Insulin Resistance In Rats

We have recently reported that stimulation of gastric acid secretion with NaHCO3 promotes an anti‐inflammatory response in both rats and healthy human subjects. Importantly, disruption of ‘neuronal like’ mesothelial cell connections to spleen abolished this response. The Dahl salt‐sensitive (SS) rat model develops insulin resistance when fed a high salt diet. As low grade inflammation is thought to promote insulin resistance, we hypothesized that ‘Ingestion of NaHCO3 would prevent the development of insulin resistance in Dahl SS rats and that this protection would be lost following surgical disruption of mesothelial connections to the spleen’.