Abstract
In order to investigate the metabolic changes in rats fed sucrose diets containing 8% of fat, fourty male Wistar rats (initially weighing 75-85g) were distributed in four groups and fed dietscontaining 0% (control), 10%, 20% and 50% of calories from sucrose for 3 and 6 weeks.
Feeding of a 50% sucrose diet for 3 weeks and 10%, 20% and 50% sucrose diets for 6 weekscaused a significant increase in serum total lipid. Increases in serum triglyceride and free cholesterol levels observed in sucrose-fed rats were significant in a 50% sucrose diet for 6 weeks. On feeding sucrose for 6 weeks, however, there was no change in serum esterified cholesterol level. Therefore, a tendency to decrease in the ratio of esterified cholesterol to total cholesterol was observed. Serum phospholipid levels were significantly increased in rats fed a 50% sucrose diet for 3 weeks and 20% and 50% sucrose diets for 6 weeks. There was no significant change of NEFA level in serum of sucrose-fed rats.
On the other hand, 10% sucrose diet resulted in accumulation of triglyceride and 10% and 20% sucrose diets resulted in accumulations of total cholesterol in the livers of rats fed for 3 weeks. However, the liver lipid contents of rats fed sucrose diets for 6 weeks tended to be lower than that of the control group. Thus, it seemed reasonable to assume that the accumulation of the liver lipid of rats observed when sucrose diet was fed for 3 weeks might be temporary. There were nosignificant changes of liver phospholipid levels both in rats fed sucrose diet for 3 and 6 weeks.
Total protein content in serum was slightly increased in sucrose diets, whereas liver protein content of rats fed sucrose diets for 6 weeks was lower than rats fed control diet.
Increase in α1-globulin fraction was observed in rats fed a 50% sucrose diet for 6 weeks.
