Examination of dihydrotachysterol-induced progeria as a model for aging changes in carbohydrate metabolism

Interest in the pharmacological effects of drugs in the elderly has created a need for a laboratory model in which responses of aged animals to drugs can be studied. Dihydrotachysterol (DHT)-induced progeria, a syndrome with symptoms similar to those seen in normal aging, was evaluated as an old age model. DHT-treatment was shown to produce a decreased carbohydrate tolerance that was due to an impaired release of insulin from pancreatic islets and not due to a decreased sensitivity to insulin. These changes were unlike those observed with aging. Thus, DHT-induced progeria would not appear to be a good model for aging for the investigation of carbohydrate metabolism. Evidence is presented which indicates that glucose and tolbutamide act via different mechanism to stimulate insulin release.