Comparison of the chromium distribution in organs and subcellular fractions of normal and diabetic rats by using enriched stable isotope Cr-50 tracertechnique

The enriched stable isotope Cr-50(III) tracer technique combined with neutr on activation analysis was used to examine the intracellular distribution o f Cr(III) in the liver, pancreas, testes, and kidney homogenates of both no rmal and diabetic rats. Our new results showed that the nucleic fraction ha s the highest Cr concentration in the Liver cell of both normal and diabeti c rats. The diabetic rats retain more Cr in the mitochondrial and lysosomal fractions of liver homogenate than the normal. This is likely an indicatio n of chromium participating in the glucose or lipid metabolism to compensat e the low level of insulin in the body of diabetic rats. The concentrations of Cr in the subcellular fractions of pancreas, testes, and kidney in the normal rats are higher than those in the diabetic rats, which favor the hyp othesis that Cr(LII) plays its biological function via interaction with the insulin-sensitive tissues or enhancement of the sensitivity of the insulin receptor.