Oral Glucose Tolerance and Tryptophan Metabolism in Non-Obese and Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetic Goto–Kakizaki Rats Fed High-Tryptophan Diets

Abstract

We investigated oral glucose tolerance and tryptophan (Trp) metabolism in non-obese and non-insulin-dependent diabetic Goto–Kakizaki (GK) rats fed high-Trp diets. Five-week-old male Wistar and GK rats were fed a 20% casein diet (control diet) or the same diet supplemented with 1%, 2%, 3%, or 5% Trp for 58 d. Oral glucose tolerance tests were performed on Days 14 and 28 of the experimental period. Urine as well as livers and blood were collected on the last day of the experiment. The glucose concentration and the amount of Trp metabolites were measured. On Day 14 of the experiment, the incremental blood glucose concentrations integrated over a period of 2 h (ΔAUC_0-2h) of blood glucose in rats fed the 3% and 5% Trp diets had decreased by 13% and 18%, respectively, compared with that of the control-GK rats. However, no significant differences were found in the rats fed +1% or +2% Trp diets compared with control-GK rats. On Day 28, there were no significant differences found in the ΔAUC_0-2h of blood glucose levels in any group including the control-GK group. On the last day, the concentrations of plasma glucose, total cholesterol, and triglyceride did not show differences in any group. There were no specific phenomena observed in the metabolism of Trp in GK rats even when fed an excess of Trp, compared with that of Wistar rats. Oral Trp administration and its continuous use may not improve blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetic rats.