ACTIVITIES OF LIVER PYRUVATE-DEHYDROGENASE COMPLEX AND 3-HYDROXYACYL-COA DEHYDROGENASE IN SAND RAT (PSAMMOMYS-OBESUS)

The sand rat (Psammomys obesus) is an animal model for non-insulin dep endent diabetes mellitus, which is induced by a regular chow diet. The total activity of liver pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in the sand ra ts under normoglycemic and normoinsulinemic conditions was one half as high as that in the albino rats, but the activity of liver 3-hydroxya cyl-CoA dehydrogenase was more than 4 times greater in the former than in the latter, suggesting a low capacity for glucose oxidation and a high capacity for fatty acid oxidation in the sand rats. These metabol ic conditions may be related to the predisposition of the animals towa rds diabetes. Diet-induced diabetes in the sand rats resulted in decre asing the active form of liver pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and in i ncreasing the activity of liver 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, sugge sting that the diabetic conditions further suppress glucose oxidation and promote fatty acid oxidation.