A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF HIGH-FAT DIET CONTAINING FISH-OIL OR LARD ON BLOOD-GLUCOSE IN GENETICALLY DIABETIC (DB DB) MICE/

The effects of high-fat diets containing fish oil or lard on blood glu cose and plasma insulin after oral glucose loading were compared in ge netically diabetic (db/db) mice, one of the animal models of non-insul in-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with hyperinsulinemia. The bloo d glucose levels were significantly decreased in 27% of the mice fed h igh-fat diets containing 20% fish oil 30 and 60 min after the oral adm inistration of glucose (both; p < 0.05). Conversely, the plasma insuli n levels were significantly increased 30 min after the glucose loading as compared to 27% of the mice fed high-fat diets containing 20% lard (p < 0.01). In addition, a significant hypoglycemic effect was observ ed 60 min after the subcutaneous administration of insulin to mice an the fish oil diet (p < 0.05), whereas no effect was demonstrated in th e case of those on the lard diet. The average body weight of the fish oil-treated mice was not significantly different from that of the lard -treated mice. The fish oil diet has a beneficial effect on glucose to lerance by increasing the insulin secretory capacity from pancreatic a cells and also ameliorating insulin resistance.