Serum and Liver Lipid Concentrations in Two Strains of Diabetic Mice with Different Responses to Cholesterol Feeding

Abstract

In the present experiment, the effects of streptozotocin diabetes on serum and liver lipid concentrations were investigated in two strains of mice with different responses of serum cholesterol to cholesterol feeding.
Serum glucose concentrations were elevated in both strains almost identically by streptozotocin administration. Although serum triglyceride concentrations increased similarly in both strains and had good correlations to serum glucose levels, the elevation of cholesterol was found only in C₃H strain, which was a good responder to cholesterol feeding. Consequently, serum cholesterol concentration in the diabetic C₃H mouse was higher than that in diabetic DBA. Liver lipid increased on both diabetic mice pallaleled with serum glucose as compared with nondiabetic controls except triglyceride in DBA mouse.
It is concluded that the latent metabolic disorder of cholesterol is emphasized in diabetic state, which may be a reason why hypercholesterolemia is not always accompanied with diabetes mellitus.