Effect of fasting on glucose recycling in rats

Effect of a carbohydrate supplement on feeding behaviour and exercise in rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia

The effect of a carbohydrate supplement, offered as a diet option, on feeding behaviour, body weight gain, and endurance exercise was studied in rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia. Male albino rats (n = 35) were randomly divided into 5 groups; hypoxic supplemented and control groups; normoxic supplemented and control groups, and an untreated control group. After treadmill training for 5 days, the hypoxic groups were exposed to simulated high altitude equivalent to 6960 m for 18 days continuously. Food and water intakes, body weight and endurance exercise were recorded before and during the exposure period. Blood glucose, insulin, muscle and liver glycogen were assayed at the end of the exposure period. Hypobaric hypoxia resulted in a significant decrease in food and water intake, and body weight, and reduced endurance exercise capacity compared to the basal and normoxic group values. The carbohydrate supplement did not ameliorate the hypoxia-induced loss in body weight, but however, significantly delayed the onset of fatigue during exercise in the supplemented rats compared to the hypoxic control group.

In vivo glucose utilization in rat tissues during the three phases of starvation

Three phases of starvation have been described from changes in protein and lipid utilization in birds and mammals. In the present study, tissue glucose utilization was measured in vivo during these three phases, using a 2-deoxy-[1-3H]glucose technique in the anesthetized rat. According to this technique, the term glucose utilization therefore refers to transport and phosphorylation of glucose in tissues, ie, whatever is the fate of glucose. Whole-body glucose turnover rate, which was determined by a continuous infusion of [3-3H]glucose, decreased by 40% during the first two days of starvation (phase 1); it did not change thereafter, neither in the protein-sparing phase 2 nor in phase 3, which is marked by an increase in net protein breakdown. Two days of starvation caused a marked decrease in the glucose utilization in skeletal muscles; this decrease was higher in oxidative muscles (65% in diaphragm, 66% in soleus) than in glycolytic muscles (31% in extensor digitorum longus, 34% in epitrochlearis). Glucose utilization also decreased in heart atria (75%), heart ventricles (93%), and white adipose tissue (54%); by contrast, there was a two-fold increase in glucose utilization in brown adipose tissue and no change in brain and skin. No variations were observed in glucose utilization in any of the tissues from phase 1 to phase 2. However, phase 3 was marked by a decrease in glucose utilization in extensor digitorum longus (45%), brown adipose tissue (76%), brain (29%), and skin (40%), whereas there was a 2.3- and 3.4-fold increase in glucose utilization in diaphragm and heart ventricles, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Determination of glucose turnover in sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax. Comparative aspects of glucose utilization

1. Parameters of in vivo glucose utilization by sea bass (132 +/- 6 g, mean +/- SEM) acclimated at 15 degrees C in sea-water were measured after single injection of labelled glucose. 2. Glucose turnover rate (RG; mumol . min-1 . kg-1) was found to be 0.55-065 (2-3H glucose) and 0.34 +/- 0.42 (U14C glucose). 3. Glucose transit time was 443-449 min, glucose mass 233-261 mumol . kg-1, and glucose recycling 37%. 4. Oxygen consumption (MO2) amounted to 94 +/- 6.2 mumol . min-1 . kg-1. 5. The comparison with other fish species, mammals and birds, taking into account body size, temperature, diet, exercise, in poikilotherms and homeotherms leads to the calculation of a glucose turnover index (RGI = RG x 6 x 100 x MO2(-1)). 6. Value of this, generally lower in ectotherm teleosts (2-9), than in endotherms: mammals, birds and thunidae (22-60), confirms the minor quantitative importance of glucose in the metabolism of most fish.

Concentrations of carbohydrates and lipids of guinea pigs after five days starvation

The concentrations of serum total lipids, cholesterol and triglycerides of guinea pigs were determined under normal conditions and after 5 days fasting. Serum glucose and liver glycogen levels were also estimated under both conditions. The amounts of serum total lipids and cholesterol were significantly increased as a result of starvation, whereas, fasting had no significant effect on serum triglycerides. Liver glycogen was rapidly decreased in response to starvation in a highly significant manner. However, starvation did not affect serum glucose of guinea pigs.

Glucose metabolism studied isotopically in diabetic dogs: effect of restoration of peripheral normoinsulinaemia by the artificial B cell

Normoglycaemia, peripheral normoinsulinaemia, and normoglucagonaemia were restored acutely in chronically diabetic dogs, using an extracorporal artificial B cell with peripheral venous insulin administration. Glucose metabolism was analysed by a non-steady-state tracer technique with double-labelled glucose (6-3H- and U-14C-glucose), and the incorporation of the 14C label into plasma lactate was determined. In the basal state, glucose turnover rates were not different from those in non-diabetic controls; but recirculation of the glucose-C label through the Cori cycle, and lactate labelling from glucose utilization were decreased. The glycaemic response to an intravenous infusion of non-labelled glucose was distinctly enhanced. This was based on a reduction in the rates of glucose disappearance. Its rates of appearance (total endogenous glucose production) were, however, suppressed to a normal extent by the exogenous glucose. Accordingly carbon recycling was nearly totally suppressed during the glucose infusion as in the controls. It is concluded that metabolic recompensation in these fasting, resting diabetic dogs remained incomplete because the interval of normoinsulinaemia, which obviously applied only to the peripheral circulation, was not long enough.

Effect of endurance training on glucose kinetics during exercise

Control and endurance-trained rats received continuous infusions via jugular catheters of [U-14C]- and [6-3H]glucose under one of three conditions: rest (Re), running at 13.4 m/min (easy exercise, EE), or running at 26.8 m/min (hard exercise, HE). Arterial blood was sampled from carotid catheters. Blood glucose levels were not different between groups at rest (3.88 +/- 0.19 mM) or EE (4.32 +/- 0.35 mM). During HE, trained animals maintained blood glucose better (3.41 +/- 0.34 mM) than did untrained animals (3.03 +/- 0.42 mM). Respiratory exchange ratio (R) increased from rest (0.79 +/- 0.05) to exercise and was significantly lower in trained than in untrained animals during HE (0.87 +/- 0.02 vs. 0.93 +/- 0.03). Glucose turnover (Rt) calculated from [3H]glucose was not different between groups at rest (46.2 +/- 2.7 mumol x kg-1 x min-1). Turnover increased during EE to 91.5 +/- 7.5 vs. 72 +/- 8.5 mumol x kg-1 x min-1 in untrained and trained animals, respectively. During HE, Rt rose to 95.0 +/- 12.6 in trained animals but fell to 78.7 +/- 9.9 mumol x kg-1 x min-1 in untrained animals. The percentage of glucose flux oxidized increased from rest (44.0 +/- 6.8%) to exercise and was significantly lower in trained (73.7 +/- 4.3%) than in untrained animals (95.1 +/- 3.8%) during HE. Metabolic clearance rate increased from 12.5 +/- 0.8 in Re to 29.4 +/- 6.0 ml x min-1 x kg-1 in HE but did not differ between groups. Training improved glucose homeostasis during HE by increasing the glucose flux and by reducing the fraction of the flux lost to oxidation.

Threonine metabolism in sheep. 2. Threonine catabolism and gluconeogenesis in pregnant ewes

The irreversible loss rate (ILR) of glucose, bicarbonate and threonine were determined in six twin- and triplet-bearing ewes on three occasions during the last 6 weeks of gestation. Three of the ewes (group S) were given conventional rations of hay plus concentrates so that their blood ketone levels did not rise over this period. The other three ewes (group H) were given a fixed intake of hay throughout; their blood ketone levels rose, but remained at subclinical levels. The results are presented in the form of three-pool open-compartment models for each period. There was an increase in the glucose ILR for both groups over the 6-week period, but the over-all increase (mean +/- SE) was much greater (P less than 0.001) in group S (35.1 +/- 2.43 g carbon/d) than in group H (11.3 +/- 1.28 g C/d). Similarly, increases in bicarbonate ILR were also higher in group S (161 +/- 11.2 g C/d) than in group H (63 +/- 21.7 g C/d). However, whereas with group S ewes, receiving supplementary feed, this increase was progressive throughout the 6 weeks, with the group H ewes the increase which occurred over the last 3 weeks of gestation (56 +/- 26.3 g C/d) was much greater than that which occurred over the preceding 3 weeks (7 +/- 4.7 g C/d). This pattern was also evident in the oxidation of glucose to CO2. In contrast to the previously mentioned findings, neither threonine ILR nor the amount of threonine converted to glucose or catabolized to CO2 changed significantly over the 6-week period. The results are discussed in the light of findings presented in the previous paper that the amount of threonine used in catabolic processes can alter if a glucose-only sink is created in wether sheep.

Liver glucose, glycogen and lipid synthesis in fed and 24-hour fasted rats soon after a pulse of [3-14C]pyruvate through the portal vein

1. A pulse of [3-14C]pyruvate was given to rats through the portal vein and blood was collected at brief intervals from the inferior cava vein at the level of the suprahepatic veins. 2. In 24 hr fasted rats, the appearance of [14C]glucose in blood and blood glucose specific radioactivity were higher than in fed animals from the first minute after delivery of the tracer. At this time total radioactivity did not differ between the two groups. 3. After 5 and 20 min. liver radioactivity present in glycogen and glyceride glycerol was enhanced while in fatty acids it was reduced in fasted as compared with fed animals. 4. It is proposed that, in the fasted state, both glycogen and glyceride glycerol synthesis are predominantly gluconeogenic processes.

Carcass glycogen as a potential source of glucose during short-term starvation

In small rats deprived of food for 19h (or 43h), 36% (or 39%) of the glycogen that disappeared was lost from the carcass and 64% (or 61%) from liver. Carcass glycogen is potentially a substantial source of glucose during short-term starvation via the Cori cycle.