Dietary glucose increases plasma insulin and decreases brown adipose tissue thermogenic activity in adrenalectomized...

The purpose of this study was to determine whether consumption of a high glucose diet would increase plasma insulin concentrations and decrease brown adipose tissue metabolism in adrenalectomized ob/ob mice previously fed a high starch diet. Male sham-operated and adrenalectomized ob/ob and lean mice were fed a high starch diet for 12 d, then switched to a high glucose diet for the last 2 or 4 d of the 14- or 16-d feeding trials. Adrenalectomized ob/ob mice consumed 16% more energy and gained 50% more weight without an increase in oxygen consumption when switched from a high starch diet to a high glucose diet. Within 2 d after the switch to the high glucose diet, plasma insulin concentrations increased by 70% without any change in plasma glucose concentrations; brown adipose tissue metabolism, as assessed by GDP binding to brown adipose tissue mitochondria, was decreased by 26% 4 d after the diet switch. Sham-operated ob/ob and lean mice and adrenalectomized lean mice were minimally affected by the switch to the high glucose diet. The increase in plasma insulin concentrations in adrenalectomized ob/ob mice induced by the high glucose diet may contribute to the observed depression in brown adipose tissue metabolism.