CASP8 and hydrops fetalis: Caspase-6, caspase-8, FADD and TNF-α receptor were some of the pro-apoptotic genes undergoing the greatest increase in the hypothalamus of HF rats, while members of the Bcl and Traf family were some of the anti-apoptotic genes modulated by the HF diet (complete results are shown in Tables 2 and 3, depicting the significantly modulated pro- and anti-apoptotic genes, respectively).