Effect of alloxan diabetes on some aspects of lipid metabolism in albino rats

Altered desaturase activities and fatty acid composition in liver microsomes of spontaneously diabetic Wistar BB rat

We examined the activities of delta 9, delta 6 and delta 5 desaturases and fatty acid composition of liver microsomes in the insulin-dependent spontaneously diabetic adult female Wistar Bio-Breeding (BB) rat. The diabetic BB rats were subcutaneously injected with different doses of protamine zinc insulin in order to be killed in hyper-, normo- or hypo-glycemic states. Desaturase activities, which are partially inhibited by spontaneous diabetes during the normo- and hyper-glycemic periods, were similarly affected by the various insulin treatment; delta 9 desaturase activity being more depressed than the desaturase activities of either delta 6 of delta 5. Insulin treatment with 10 I.U./kg body weight twice a day for 2 days was able to restore the delta 9, delta 6 and delta 5 desaturase activities to control levels during the hypoglycemic period. The microsomal fatty acid composition of BB rats liver was not consistent with the desaturase activities, particularly delta 9 desaturase activity, during the different states of glycemia, indicating that they are not closely linked in a direct cause-effect relationship.

Liver fatty acid composition in the spontaneously diabetic BB rat

The purpose of the present experiment was to investigate if the modulation by insulin of liver microsomal desaturase activities in the spontaneously diabetic adult male Bio-Breeding (BB) rat, with destructive insulitis resembling the lesions described in the human Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes, corresponds to modifications in fatty acid composition, reflect of changes in fatty acid desaturation. We observed no significant differences between BB rats, during the hyper-(48 h), the normo-(17 h) and the hypo-glycemic (3 h) periods which followed the insulin injection, and control rats for the fatty acid composition of liver total lipids, phosphatidylethanolamines, phosphatidylcholines, triacylglycerols, cholesterol esters and non esterified fatty acids. On the other hand, linoleic acid of BB rats liver phospholipids increased, comparatively to control rats, while arachidonic acid decreased, in agreement with previously reported results on chemical diabetes and consistent with a defective delta 6 desaturation, particularly during the normo-and hyper-glycemic periods, and the fact that control of membrane lipid composition is multifactorial.

[Effect of supplementation with gamma-linolenic acid on the fatty acid composition of lipids from the liver and plasma in the diabetic rat]

The main difference between normal and streptozotocic rat fed a diet, supplied during 35 days, including (as 1.5 g oil for 100 g diet) either naudicelle oil (with gamma-linolenic acid), either sunflower oil (without gamma-linolenic acid), or naudicelle oil + peanut oil, is that there are more non esterified fatty acids in streptozotocic livers. This result supports the view that liver phospholipids are more labile or that there is an important release of fat, even if we do not observe an increase of streptozotocic rat plasmatic non esterified fatty acids. Comparing normal and streptozotocic rat we found interesting results about fatty acids liver lipids composition: non esterified fatty acids are particularly rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly in linoleic and arachidonic acids, in diabetic rat. These results contribute to explain, to some extent, the important catabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diabetic rat, as they may reveal an increased activity of phospholipase A2 in this kind of animal. Naudicelle oil in the diet is, in our experiment, without favourable results on the amount of different lipidic classes and their fatty-acids composition, into liver and plasma of the streptozotocic rat, comparatively to the rat administered with sunflower oil; this may be explain by the fact that gamma-linolenic acid was in restricted amount in the diet and that its own conversion was partially inhibited by diabetes.