The Effect of a High Glucose and a High Fructose Diet on the Body Weight and on the Fat, Glycogen, and Nitrogen Content of the Liver and Body of the Albino Rat

Abstract

Litter mates of albino rats were fed for 10 weeks on equicaloric diets of the same composition except that one contained 68% glucose, the other the same percentage of fructose. The activity of the animals was limited by the restricted size of the cages in which they were kept. The average increase in body weight on the two diets was the same. The ratio of food intake to gain in weight was therefore the same for the two sugars; it was, however, considerably higher for the females than for the males. The average total glycogen and nitrogen percentage content of the entire body was the same in the glucose and fructose-fed animals. The fat content was significantly greater in the rats on the glucose diet. The hydration of the tissues was apparently greater in the fructose-fed animals. The liver of the animals on the fructose diet was heavier in every experiment, the average weight for the group being 22% greater than in the glucose-fed animals. This hypertrophy of the liver was probably due to an increase in the work of the organ in the metabolism of fructose. There was no significant difference in the percentage nitrogen and glycogen content of the liver with the two diets. The percentage fat content was significantly greater in the liver of the glucose-fed animals. The absolute amount of fat in the organ, however, was the same with the two diets. This is accounted for by the fact that the liver of the fructose-fed animals was heavier.