Abstract
The effects of high-fat diets containing fish oil or lard on blood glucose and plasma insulin after oral glucose loading were com-pared in genetically diabetic (db/db) mice, one of the animal models of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with hyperinsuline-mia. The blood glucose levels were significantly decreased in 27% of the mice fed high-fat diets containing 20% fish oil 30 and 60 min after the oral administration of glucose (both;p<0.05). Conversely, the plasma insulin levels were significantly increased 30 min after the glucose loading as compared to 27% of the mice fed high-fat diets containing 20% lard (p<0.01). In addition, a significant hypoglycemic effect was observed 60 min after the subcutaneous administration of insulin to mice on the fish oil diet (p<0.05), whereas no effect was demonstrated in the case of those on the lard diet. The average body weight of the fish oil-treated mice was not significantly different from that of the lard-treated mice. The fish oil diet has a beneficial effect on glucose tolerance by increasing the insulin secretory capacity from pancreatic β cells and also ameliorating insulin resistance.
