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Early lipid alterations in spontaneously diabetic rats
I N de Gomez Dumm1, S Montenegro, M C Tarrés
1Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata, (INIBIOLP), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina.
Acta Physiologica, Pharmacologica Et Therapeutica Latinoamericana : Organo De La Asociacion Latinoamericana De Ciencias Fisiologicas Y [De] La Asociacion Latinoamericana De Farmacologia
|January 23, 1999
Summary
Spontaneous diabetes in eSS rats significantly alters lipid metabolism, showing elevated triglycerides and changes in fatty acid composition in liver, kidney, and testes. These early metabolic disturbances may contribute to diabetes progression.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Metabolic Research
- Animal Models
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus profoundly impacts lipid metabolism.
- The eSS rat strain spontaneously develops a slow-progressing diabetes, similar to human non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
- Early-stage metabolic alterations in diabetes are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate lipid metabolism disturbances in 5-month-old eSS rats compared to age-matched controls.
- To identify specific changes in fatty acid profiles and cholesterol content during early diabetes onset.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of lipid profiles in plasma, liver microsomes, kidney microsomes, and erythrocyte membranes between eSS rats and control rats.
- Analysis of fatty acid composition, triglyceride content, and cholesterol levels.
- Measurement of fluorescence anisotropy in testicular tissue.
Main Results:
- eSS rats exhibited diabetic glucose tolerance curves post-glucose load.
- Elevated plasma and liver triglyceride levels were observed in eSS rats.
- Significant alterations in fatty acid composition, including decreased linoleic acid and increased docosahexaenoic acid in liver and kidney, were noted.
- Increased microsomal cholesterol and cholesterol/phospholipid ratio in liver and testis were found.
- Changes in testicular fatty acid patterns and increased fluorescence anisotropy were observed.
Conclusions:
- Early-stage diabetes in eSS rats, even before overt hyperglycemia, is characterized by severe lipid metabolism alterations.
- These lipid disturbances, including changes in fatty acids and cholesterol, may play a crucial role in the development and progression of the diabetic syndrome.
- The eSS rat is a valuable model for studying the interplay between lipid metabolism and diabetes.