Insulin resistance induced by a high fructose diet in rats due to hepatic disturbance

Abstract EN

High consumption of dietary fructose is accused of being responsible for the development of the insulin resistance (IR) syndrome.

Concern has arisen because of the realization that fructose, at elevated concentrations, can promote metabolic changes that are potentially deleterious.

Among these changes is IR which manifests as a decreased biological response to normal levels of plasma insulin.

Therefore, this experiment was designed to evaluate the role of high fructose diet on metabolic syndrome in rats.

The experimental animals were divided into two batches.

The control batch received a control diet; the second batch was given a high-fructose diet as the sole source of carbohydrate.

The rats were continued on the dietary regimen for 1, 2 & 3 months.

After the experimental periods, fructose fed rats groups showed significant elevations in the levels of glucose, insulin sensitivity, liver function tests, nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-α when compared to their corresponding values in the rats fed normal diet.

Moreover, liver lipid peroxidation [thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) and lipid hydroperoxide concentrations were remarkably increased in high-fructose-fed rats according to the time of administration (1, 2 &3 months).

On the other hand, the activities of enzymatic antioxidants (glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase) and glyoxalase I & II were significantly declined in this group.

In conclusion, high fructose feeding raises liver dysfunction and causes the features of metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance) in rats dependent on the time of administration due to different mechanisms which were discussed in this work according to available recent researches.