Specific Changes of Bile Acid Metabolism in Spontaneously Diabetic Wistar Rats

Abstract

Bile acid metabolism was investigated in a newly described animal model depicting juvenile human diabetes (spontaneously diabetic Wistar (BB) rat) and compared to normoglycemic control from the Wistar strain. Diabetic animals used were on insulin treatment except for the last 24 h. The plasma glucose levels (mg%) of diabetic rat (D) was significantly higher than control rats (C) (150 .+-. 35 in C vs. 340 .+-. 32 in D). The total bile acid pool (mg/100 g) in D was significantly (P < 0.05) higher when compared to C (9.0 .+-. 0.8 in C vs. 14.9 .+-. 1.7 in D). The pool of cholic acid was significantly (P < 0.05) increased while that of chenodeoxycholic acid was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased (cholic acid: 5.9 .+-. 0.45 in C vs. 10.06 .+-. 1.2 in D; chenodeoxycholic 0.90 .+-. 0.1 in C vs. 0.57 .+-. 0.06 in D). This increased the cholic chenodeoxycholic acid ratios from 6.6 .+-. 0.4 in controls to 19.3 .+-. 2.4 in diabetic rats. Diverse alteration in the concentration of the 2 primary bile acids in the diabetic state were observed.