Abstract
The relationship between a decrease in triglyceride (TG) accumulation in tissues by caloric restriction and an improvement in diabetes in OLETF rats was studied. The OLETF rats were separated into 2 groups: a) a feeding group and b) a 30% restricted feeding growp through 25 weeks of age. LETO rats were used as controls. The changes in body weight and blood chemical characteristics with age, TG content in tissues and glucose infusion rate (GIR), as well as morphological changes in the liver and pancreatic islets were examined in the 3 groups. The results were as follows: 1) body weight and intra-abdominal fats decreased: The plasma levels of TG, insulin and glucose were reduced ; The TG secretion rate was sighificantly feduced and the post heparin lipolytic activity (PHLA) was increased. 2) The TG contents decreased in the liver, pancreas and muscle. 3) The GIR was improved. 4) TG accumulation was not observed in the liver or pancreatic islets on morphological examination. The results suggest that hypertriglyceridemia may be corrected by inhibiting TG synthesis and accelerating TG decomposition with caloric restriction, and that the insulin resistance was improved by a reduction in TG accumulation in the muscle and liver. The improvement in impaired pancreatic B-cell function was thought to be due to the decrease in TG accumulation in the pancreatic islets.
