Early exposure to a high-fat diet has more drastic consequences on metabolism compared with exposure during adulthood in rats

The aim of this study was determine whether the introduction of a high-fat diet during the peripubertal phase induces significant changes in body weight control, glucose homeostasis and the parasympathetic tonus compared with the administration of this diet to adult rats. High-fat diet was offered to male Wistar rats at weaning or during adulthood. A group of rats received high-fat diet for 60 days, from weaning to 81-day-old (HF81) or from 60 to 120-day-old (HF120), whereas 2 other groups received a normal-fat diet (i. e., NF81 and NF120). We analyzed adiposity, glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, and vagal nerve activity. High-fat diet increased the accumulation of adipose tissue in all of the rats, but the difference was greater in the rats that were fed the high-fat diet since weaning (p<0.001). The HF rats showed glucose intolerance with high levels of insulin secretion during the glucose tolerance test (p<0.01). Rats that were fed the high-fat diet presented severe insulin resistance, indicated by a low K itt (p<0.01). Interestingly, the HF81 rats exhibited greater insulin resistance compared with the HF120 rats (p<0.05). The recordings of vagus nerve activity showed that the HF rats had higher parasympathetic activity than the NF rats irrespective of age (p<0.01). Our results show that a high-fat diet offered to rats just after weaning or in adulthood both cause impairment of glycemic homeostasis and imbalance in parasympathetic activity. Importantly, the consumption of high-fat diet immediately after weaning has more drastic consequences compared with the consumption of the same diet during adulthood.     

Effect of wheat bran on excretion of radioactively labeled estradiol-17 beta and estrone-glucuronide injected intravenously in male rats.

Urinary and fecal estrogen excretion were studied in male rats fed a non-fiber wheat starch diet (dietary fiber less than 1%; NF group; n = 4), a low-fiber wheat flour diet (dietary fiber 2%; LF group; n = 4) or a high-fiber wheat bran diet (dietary fiber 11.6%; HF group; n = 3). Short-term effects of the experimental diet on estrogen excretion were studied after i.v. injection of 5 microCi (0.185 MBq) of [14C]estradiol-17 beta (E2) into the tail vein of the rats fed the diets for 2 days. After 3 weeks on the experimental diets, the long-term effects were studied after injection of 5 microCi of [14C]E2 and 10 microCi of [3H]estrone-3-glucuronide (E1-gluc). The diet was found to affect estrogen excretion. The short-term effect indicated that rats fed the HF diet excreted a relatively large amount of labeled compounds in the feces during the first day after injection, while rats fed the NF or the LF diets excreted about half that amount over the same period. On the other hand, urinary excretion of labeled compounds was significantly higher in the NF and LF rats. The long-term effect resulted in steeper slopes (P less than 0.05) of the fecal excretion profiles of rats fed the HF diet as compared with rats fed the NF and LF diets, indicating an accelerated fecal excretion of labeled compounds in the HF rats. The kinetic profiles of 14C and 3H radioactivity in blood plasma indicated a fast decrease (t1/2 of less than 2 min) for both [14C]E2 and [3H]E1-gluc. It was concluded that, owing to the short-term effect of wheat bran intake, during the first 24 h after i.v. administration relatively large amounts of radioactively labeled compounds are excreted in feces of rats fed the HF diet. In contrast, excretion is lower in urine of these rats. When the microflora is adapted to the experimental diet the wheat bran diet still results in an accelerated fecal excretion of labeled compounds, which might be attributed to an interruption of the enterohepatic circulation of estrogens. This might result in lowered plasma and/or tissue estrogen levels and hence a decreased exposure of estrogen-sensitive tissue to estrogens, which might decrease risk on mammary (breast) cancer development.     

Cinnamon extract prevents the insulin resistance induced by a high-fructose diet.

The aim of this study was to determine whether cinnamon extract (CE) would improve the glucose utilization in normal male Wistar rats fed a high-fructose diet (HFD) for three weeks with or without CE added to the drinking water (300 mg/kg/day). In vivo glucose utilization was measured by the euglycemic clamp technique. Further analyses on the possible changes in insulin signaling occurring in skeletal muscle were performed afterwards by Western blotting. At 3 mU/kg/min insulin infusions, the decreased glucose infusion rate (GIR) in HFD-fed rats (60 % of controls, p < 0.01) was improved by CE administration to the same level of controls (normal chow diet) and the improving effect of CE on the GIR of HFD-fed rats was blocked by approximately 50 % by N-monometyl-L-arginine. The same tendency was found during the 30 mU/kg/min insulin infusions. There were no differences in skeletal muscle insulin receptor (IR)-beta, IR substrate (IRS)-1, or phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase protein content in any groups. However, the muscular insulin-stimulated IR-beta and IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation levels and IRS-1 associated with PI 3-kinase in HFD-fed rats were only 70 +/- 9 %, 76 +/- 5 %, and 72 +/- 6 % of controls (p < 0.05), respectively, and these decreases were significantly improved by CE treatment. These results suggest that early CE administration to HFD-fed rats would prevent the development of insulin resistance at least in part by enhancing insulin signaling and possibly via the NO pathway in skeletal muscle.     

Effects of glutamine administration on inflammatory responses in chronic ethanol-fed rats

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of glutamine supplementation on inflammatory responses in chronic ethanol-fed rats. Male Wistar rats weighing about 160 g were divided into five groups. Two groups were fed a normal liquid diet and three groups were fed a glutamine-containing liquid diet. After 1 week, one of the normal liquid diet groups was fed an ethanol-containing liquid diet (CE), and the other group served as the control (CC) group. At the same time, one of the glutamine-containing liquid diet groups was continually fed the same diet (GCG), but the other two groups were fed ethanol-containing diet supplemented with glutamine (GEG) or without glutamine (GE). The following items were analyzed: (1) liver function, (2) cytokine contents, and (3) hepatic oxidative stress. The activities of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) and levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β in the CE group had significantly increased. In addition, hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) expression had significantly increased in the CE, GE and GEG groups. However, the activities of AST and ALT and levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the GE group were significantly lower than those of the CE group. The results suggest that the plasma inflammatory responses of rats fed an ethanol-containing liquid diet for 7 weeks significantly increased. However, pretreatment with glutamine improved the plasma inflammatory responses induced by ethanol.     

A freshwater clam (Corbicula fluminea) extract improves cholesterol metabolism in rats fed on a high-cholesterol diet

The effect of a freshwater clam (Corbicula fluminea) extract (FCE) on cholesterol metabolism in rats fed on a high-cholesterol diet was investigated. When rats were fed various amounts of FCE in addition to the high-cholesterol diet for 2 wk, the serum and hepatic cholesterol levels were gradually reduced in a dose-dependent manner, as compared with the control group. The excretion of neutral sterols and bile acids into the feces was increased by feeding FCE. Several phytosterols were detected in the feces of rats fed on the FCE-containing diet. In addition, substantial amounts of phytosterols were found in FCE. Cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) mRNA in the liver of the rats fed on the FCE-containing diets was higher than that of rats fed on the high-cholesterol diets without FCE. These results may suggest that enhanced cholesterol degradation and the excretion of neutral sterols and bile acids contributed to the hypocholesterolemic effect of FCE observed in the hypercholesterolemic rats fed on the high-cholesterol diet.     

Effect of dietary polyunsaturated fat and 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)-anthracene on rat splenic natural killer cells and prostaglandin E synthesis

Summary Dietary polyunsaturated fat has been shown to stimulate mammary tumorigenesis induced in rats by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA). Studies were undertaken to investigate the effect of polyunsaturated fat and DMBA on splenic natural killer (NK) activity and prostaglandin E (PGE) synthesis. In a first experiment, splenic NK activity at 33, 55, 75, and 110 days of age was measured in Sprague-Dawley rats fed 0.5% low fat (LF), 5% normal fat (NF), or 20% high fat (HF) corn oil diets from 23 days of age. At 55 days of age, half of the rats from the 75 and 110 day age groups were given 5 mg DMBA. Ten days after the initiation of the diets splenic NK activity against YAC-1 lymphoma was decreased from 50% cytotoxicity in rats fed NF diet to 21% cytotoxicity in rats fed HF diet, but was not affected by LF feeding. No difference in NK activity was observed among the groups at the later time periods. DMBA had no effect on NK activity at 20 or 55 days after its administration. In a second experiment, where DMBA (15 mg/rat) was given to half of the rats at 50 days of age and NF or HF diets were started 3 days later, NK activity was 35% in rats fed NF diet and 21% in rats fed HF diet, 5 days after the diets were started. No difference in NK activity in rats fed either diet was observed at later time periods. DMBA decreased both NK activity and spleen cellularity transiently. In both experiments, PGE synthesis by spleen cells cultured for 18 h was not affected by dietary fat intake, but was slightly increased 3 days after DMBA administration. Results from these experiments suggest that the stimulation of DMBA-induced mammary tumorigenesis by polyunsaturated fat and by DMBA itself may possibly be mediated by a transient decrease in splenic NK cell activity.This work was supported by grants CA-35641, CA-33240, CA-13038 and Core Grant CA-24538 from the National Cancer Institute     

A Freshwater Clam (Corbicula fluminea) Extract Improves Cholesterol Metabolism in Rats Fed on a High-Cholesterol Diet

The effect of a freshwater clam (Corbicula fluminea) extract (FCE) on cholesterol metabolism in rats fed on a high-cholesterol diet was investigated. When rats were fed various amounts of FCE in addition to the high-cholesterol diet for 2 wk, the serum and hepatic cholesterol levels were gradually reduced in a dose-dependent manner, as compared with the control group. The excretion of neutral sterols and bile acids into the feces was increased by feeding FCE. Several phytosterols were detected in the feces of rats fed on the FCE-containing diet. In addition, substantial amounts of phytosterols were found in FCE. Cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) mRNA in the liver of the rats fed on the FCE-containing diets was higher than that of rats fed on the high-cholesterol diets without FCE. These results may suggest that enhanced cholesterol degradation and the excretion of neutral sterols and bile acids contributed to the hypocholesterolemic effect of FCE observed in the hypercholesterolemic rats fed on the high-cholesterol diet.     

Diets alter jejunal morphology and brush border membrane composition in streptozotocin-diabetic rats

Previous studies have demonstrated enhanced active and passive uptake of many nutrients in animals with experimental diabetes. These changes in absorption cannot be explained by differences in intestinal morphology, although the brush border membrane (BBM) phospholipids do change in diabetes. Manipulation of diet produces alterations in intestinal uptake of lipids and glucose. This study was undertaken to determine the effect of diet and diabetes on jejunal morphology and BBM lipid composition. Rats were rendered hyperglycemic with streptozotocin and were fed for 2 weeks on a diet that was high or low in carbohydrate, essential fatty acids, cholesterol, or protein. In both control and diabetic rats, these diets produced changes in villus height and BBM sucrase and alkaline phosphatase activities. In both control and diabetic rats, BBM phospholipids were unaffected by changes in the dietary content of essential fatty acids, cholesterol, or protein, but total BBM phospholipid content was reduced in animals fed low as compared with high carbohydrate diet. Total BBM phospholipid content was higher in diabetic than in control animals fed the low protein diet, whereas BBM phospholipid content was lower in diabetic than in control animals fed the high carbohydrate diet, and was even lower in diabetic animals fed the low as compared with the high carbohydrate diet. These changes in total phospholipids were due to alterations in the BBM content of phospholipids containing choline. In control animals, BBM cholesterol was higher in rats fed the low as compared with the high cholesterol diet, or the low as compared with the high protein diet.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effect of allicin from garlic powder on serum lipids and blood pressure in rats fed with a high cholesterol diet

The use of fresh aqueous garlic extract is known to be effective in reducing thromboxane formation by platelets in both in vivo and in vitro animal models of thrombosis. In the present study, we studied the effect of Lichtwer garlic powder (containing 1.3% alliin equivalent to 0.6% allicin) on the serum cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, protein, and systolic blood pressure in rats fed with a high cholesterol diet. Experimental rats were fed a 2% high cholesterol diet with and without garlic powder for 6 weeks. Control rats were fed a normal diet. The aqueous garlic powder extract was given orally to rats on a daily basis. It was observed that cholesterol-fed animals had a significant increase in serum cholesterol compared to the control group of rats fed on a normal diet. However, when the rats were fed with a high cholesterol diet mixed with garlic powder, there was a significant reduction in their serum cholesterol levels compared with the group which were on a diet containing high cholesterol without garlic powder. Serum triglyceride levels were also significantly lowered by garlic powder when compared to control and high cholesterol diet group rats. The blood pressure of the high cholesterol diet animals was significantly higher compared to the animals receiving the control diet. The blood pressure of the animals receiving garlic powder and high cholesterol diet was significantly lower as compared to the high cholesterol and control diet group. No significant changes were observed in the serum glucose and protein in all of the rats. These results show that garlic is beneficial in reducing blood cholesterol, triglycerides levels and systolic blood pressure in hypercholesterolemic rats. Our experimental results show that garlic may beneficially affect two risk factors for atherosclerosis--hyperlipidemia and hypertension.     

Effects of high sucrose diet on insulin-like effects of vanadate in diabetic rats

The insulin-like effects of vanadate were compared in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats fed on high starch control and high sucrose diets for a period of six weeks. Diabetic rats in both diet groups were characterized by hypoinsulinemia, hyperglycemia (6.8–7.0 fold increase) and significant decreases (p<0.001) in the activities of glycogen synthase, phosphorylase and lipogenic enzymes, ATP-citrate lyase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme in liver. There were no diet-dependent differences in these abnormalities. However, the insulin-mimetic agent vanadate was more effective in diabetic rats fed sucrose diet as compared to animals fed control starch diet. Vanadate administration resulted in 30% and 64% decreases in plasma glucose levels in diabetic rats fed control and sucrose diets, respectively. The activities of glycogen synthase (active) and phosphorylase (active and total) were restored significantly by vanadate in control (p<0.05–0.01) and sucrose (p<0.001) diets fed diabetic rats. This insulin-mimetic agent increased the activities of hepatic lipogenic enzymes in control diet fed rats to 38–47% of normal levels whereas in sucrose fed group it completely restored the activities. Sucrose diet caused a distinct effect on the plasma levels of triacylglycerol (4-fold increase) and apolipoprotein B (2.8-fold increase) in diabetic rats and vanadate supplementation decreased their levels by 65–75%. These data indicate that vanadate exerts insulin-like effects in diabetic rats more effectively in sucrose fed group than the animals fed control diet. In addition, vanadate also prevents sucrose-induced hypertriglyceridemia.     

Reset of the osmotic threshold for vasopressin in rats fed a low NaCl, K-free diet.

Activation of the renin-angiotensin system induced by feeding a low NaCl, K-free (LS) diet is associated with polydipsia and a chronic reduction in effective plasma osmolality (efPosm). We have recently shown that converting enzyme inhibition with enalapril (EP) abolishes polydipsia. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that the osmotic threshold for vasopressin is reset in rats fed the LS diet and to examine the effect of EP on ambient and osmotically stimulated plasma vasopressin levels (PAVP). Animals were fed the LS diet or a control salt diet and treated with vehicle or the lowest dose of EP sufficient to prevent polydipsia (7.5 mg.kg-1.day-1) in rats fed the LS diet. PAVP and efPosm were measured under ambient conditions and after osmotic loading. Urine osmolality (Uosm) was measured under ambient conditions and after water loading. The chronic reduction in efPosm in LS rats was associated with the excretion of a Uosm 1-2 times greater than the corresponding Posm, PAVP similar to controls (LS, 2.27 +/- 1.08 vs. control, 1.19 +/- 0.22 pg/mL) and the ability to excrete a water load. Following osmotic loading, efPosm and PAVP increased significantly and similarly in both LS and control rats. EP administration had no effect on water intake, ambient efPosm and PAVP, and the AVP response to osmotic loading in rats fed the control diet. EP prevented polydipsia in LS rats, however it had no significant effect on ambient or osmotically stimulated PAVP or efPosm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Protection against the diabetogenic effect of feeding tert-butylhydroquinone to rats prior to the administration of streptozotocin

We determined whether an oral administration of the synthetic antioxidant, tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), or the naturally occurring lipoxygenase inhibitor, curcumin, to rats would provide protection against the diabetogenic effect of streptozotocin (STZ). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed on an AIN-76-based purified diet containing 0.0028% TBHQ or on the purified diet with a daily intragastric administration of curcumin (200 mg/kg of body weight) for one week while receiving intravenously administered STZ. The rats fed on the TBHQ-containing diet were resistant to diabetes development when compared with the rats fed on the TBHQ-free diet and had a higher body weight gain and lower serum glucose concentration. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from the pancreatic islet in the rats that had received TBHQ was higher than that in the control rats. The rats receiving curcumin showed no beneficial effect on these diabetic symptoms. These findings provide direct evidence for the suggestion that dietary supplementation of an antioxidant may exert a preventive effect on the diabetogenic action of free-radical producers.     

Diet and water-salt balance in rats

We compared parameters of water-salt balance in Wistar female rats fed normal chows during more than 2 weeks. Potassium content was 1.4-fold higher in diet I than in diet II, and sodium end water content was 3.3- and 7.5-fold higher in diet II than in diet I. Blood osmolality and concentration of Na+, K+, Mg2+ were equal in rats fed different chow. In water-loaded rats (5 ml of water/100 bw per os) fed different chow, urine flow rate did not differ, but solute-free water excretion was higher by 40.2% in the rats fed diet II vs. diet I. The sort of diet did not affect the renal sodium excretion during oral administration of 5 ml 0.9% NaCl per 100 g bw to rats. After vasopressin injection solute-free water reabsorption was 1.5-fold higher in rats fed diet II. Natriuretic and hydruretic effect of exenatide, glucagon-like peptide 1 mimetic, was weaker in rats fed diet I. The data obtained indicate that organism can effectively maintain blood parameters. The modulation of hormone regulatory effects on water and sodium balance was found to depend on the state of organism under diet consumed continuously.     

Effects of gender on kidney function in magnesium-deficient rats

This study investigated the gender differences in the kidney function of magnesium (Mg)-deficient rats. Male and female rats were fed a control diet or a Mg-deficient diet for 21 d. Mg-deficient diet had no significant effect on kidney calcium (Ca) or phosphorus (P) concentration in male rats, while Ca and P concentrations in female rats were significantly higher in Mg-deficient rats than in the control rats. With regard to indicators of kidney function, no significant differences in creatinine clearance and serum urea nitrogen concentration were observed among the groups. Serum albumin concentrations were significantly lower in rats fed the Mg-deficient diet than in rats fed the control diet. In both sexes, urinary albumin excretion was significantly higher in rats fed the Mg-deficient diet than in rats fed the control diet. Gender differences had no significant influence on creatinine clearance, serum urea nitrogen concentration, serum albumin concentration and urinary albumin excretion. These results suggest that gender differences have no effect on kidney function in Mg-deficient rats under the condition used.     

Effects of dietary oyster extract on lipid metabolism, blood pressure, and blood glucose in SD rats, hypertensive rats, and diabetic rats

Oyster extract was prepared by hydrolysis of oyster protein with proteases, Aloase (a protease from Bacillus subtilis), and Pancitase (a protease from Aspergillus oryzae). Rats were fed a diet containing 20% casein (the control diet) or 15% casein and 5% oyster extract (the oyster extract diet) as the protein source. The oyster extract diet exerted a significant reduction in serum cholesterol and liver triglyceride concentrations as compared with the control diet in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats fed cholesterol-supplemented diets for 4 weeks. The activities of cytosolic fatty acid synthase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were significantly lower in the oyster extract group than in the control group in the liver of SD rats. Hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were significantly lower in spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats and Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, type 2 diabetic rats, fed the oyster extract diet, for 4 weeks and 4 months respectively, than in those fed the control diet in the cholesterol-free diet. Blood pressure was significantly lower in the oyster extract group than in the control group at the 2nd and 4th weeks after the beginning of feeding experimental diets in SH rats. These results suggest that oyster extract prepared by hydrolysis of oyster induces triglyceride-lowering activity in the liver through a decrease in hepatic lipogenesis in SD rats, and that it exerts the antihypertensive effect in SH rats.     

Chronic treatment with probucol effectively inhibits progression of pulmonary hypertension in rats

It has been reported that probucol is a lipid-lowering agent having a strong antioxidative effect and inhibitory action on vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. In this work, we studied the effect of treatment with a 1% probucol diet on pulmonary hypertension induced by monocrotaline (MCT) in rats. Rats were fed a control or 1% probucol-supplemented diet for 7 days, then given a single subcutaneous injection of 60 mg/kg MCT or saline, and continuously fed the same diet for 20 days, respectively. MCT caused an increase in right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), an indicator of pulmonary hypertension, and central venous pressure (CVP) on day 20. In rats receiving a diet containing 1% probucol, RVSP was significantly lower than that in rats treated with control diet, and CVP remained essentially at the basal level. On day 20, MCT also caused an increase in the ratio of right ventricular (RV) to body weight (BW), compared to the control value, indicating the development of RV hypertrophy in MCT rats. RV hypertrophy was significantly inhibited in 1% probucol-treated rats. These findings suggest that chronic treatment with probucol effectively inhibits the progression of pulmonary hypertension in rats.     

Hypoglycemic activity of Eriobotrya japonica seeds in type 2 diabetic rats and mice

The hypoglycemic effects of Eriobotrya japonica seeds were investigated in type 2 diabetic Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats and KK-A(y) mice. The rats and mice were fed on a diet containing 10% powdered Eriobotrya japonica seeds with the coat intact for 4 months. Although the blood glucose concentration in the OLETF rats fed on the control diet without Eriobotrya japonica seeds was increased with time, the concentration in the OLETF rats fed on the diet with Eriobotrya japonica seeds was consistently low throughout the experimental period and was comparable to the level in Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats which are normal non-diabetic rats. Serum insulin was significantly lower in the OLETF rats fed on the Eriobotrya japonica seed diet than in those fed on the control diet at the termination of the experimental period. Eriobotrya japonica seeds suppressed the increment of blood glucose for 4 months and also effectively improved the glucose tolerance in the KK-A(y) mice, these actions being mainly exerted by the ethanol extract of the seeds. These results suggest that Eriobotrya japonica seeds had a hypoglycemic property and the effect is attributable to the components extracted by ethanol.     

Improvement of high fat-diet-induced insulin resistance in dipeptidyl peptidase IV-deficient Fischer rats

F344/DuCrj rats are genetically deficient in dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV). This enzyme degrades glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which induces glucose-dependent insulin secretion. Glucose tolerance of F344/DuCrj rats is improved as a result of enhanced insulin release induced by high levels of plasma GLP-1. In this study, we fed F344/DuCrj rats and DPPIV-positive F344/Jcl rats, aged five weeks, on a high-fat (HF) diet to examine the effect of DPPIV deficiency on food intake and insulin resistance. F344/Jcl rats gained significantly more body weight and consumed significantly more food than F344/DuCrj rats from Week 4 on either control or HF diet. Glucose excursion in the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was improved in F344/DuCrj rats fed on the control or HF diet at all times examined, compared with F344/Jcl rats. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) insulin resistance values of F344/DuCrj and F344/Jcl rats fed on HF diet were higher than those of animals fed on control diet up to Week 6. However, HOMA insulin resistance values of F344/DuCrj rats fed on HF diet became significantly lower than those of F344/Jcl rats on HF diet during Weeks 8-10. The area under the insulin curve in the OGTT at Week 10 showed that the insulin resistance of HF-diet-fed F344/DuCrj rats was greatly ameliorated. Plasma active GLP-1 concentrations of F344/DuCrj rats in the fed state were significantly higher than those of F344/Jcl rats. These observations suggest that DPPIV deficiency results in improved glucose tolerance and ameliorated insulin resistance owing to enhanced insulin release and inhibition of food intake as a result of high active GLP-1 levels.     

Protective effect of long term high fiber diet consumption on rat exocrine pancreatic function after chronic ethanol intake

The effects of ethanol administration on exocrine pancreas have been widely studied, but little is known about the effect of dietary fiber in combination with chronic ethanol on exocrine pancreatic function. The aim of this work was to examine the chronic effects of a high fiber diet, ethanol ingestion, and a combination of both on the function of the rat exocrine pancreas. Four groups of rats were fed for six months the following diets: 1.- NW: standard laboratory diet; 2.- FW: high fiber diet (15% cellulose); 3.- NE: standard laboratory diet and 20% ethanol in the drinking water; and 4.- FE: high fiber diet and 20% ethanol. Cholecystokinin (CCK) and acetylcholine (Ach) effects on amylase release and intracellular calcium mobilization in pancreatic acini were studied. In rats fed a 20% ethanol (NE), both the basal amylase release and the basal [Ca(2+)](i) were significantly increased; nonetheless, CCK and Ach-induced amylase release were significantly reduced compared with control rats. Ach- but not CCK-stimulated [Ca(2+)](i) increase in NE rats was significantly decreased compared with NW. In rats fed a combination of ethanol and a high fiber diet (FE) all the parameters under study were not significantly affected compared to control rats (NW). In conclusion, high fiber consumption does not alter the function of the exocrine pancreas. However, it ameliorates the deleterious effect of chronic ethanol consumption on pancreatic amylase secretion and, at least partially, reverses the ethanol-induced alterations on [Ca(2+)](i) in the rat exocrine pancreas.     

Effects of Exposure to Dietary Chromium on Tissue Mineral Contents in Rats Fed Diets with Fiber

This study evaluated the effects of diets with fiber (cellulose and/or pectin) supplemented with chromium(III) on homeostasis of selected minerals in femurs, thigh muscles, livers, and kidneys of rats. For 6 weeks, male rats were fed experimental diets: a fiber-free diet (FF), a diet containing 5 % cellulose (CEL), 5 % pectin (PEC), or 2.5 % cellulose and 2.5 % pectin (CEL?+?PEC). These diets had 2.53 or 0.164 mg Cr/kg diet. The tissue levels of Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, and Cr were determined by using atomic absorption spectrometry. Supplementing diets with Cr resulted in significantly higher Cr levels in the femurs of rats fed the CEL diet and significantly higher Cr and Fe levels in the rats fed the CEL?+?PEC diet compared to the rats fed FF diet. Muscle Ca content was significantly lower in the rats fed the CEL?+?PEC?+?Cr diet compared to the rats fed FF?+?Cr diet. The rats consuming the PEC?+?Cr diet had the highest liver Cr content. The highest kidney Zn content was observed in the rats fed diets containing Cr and one type of fiber. These results indicate that diets containing chromium at elevated dose and fiber have a significant effect on the mineral balance in rat tissues.