Influence of Previous Diet on Hepatic Glycogenesis and Lipogenesis

Abstract

Studies were carried out on the influence of diets high in carbohydrate or fat and subsequent fasting on hepatic synthesis of carbohydrate, fatty acids, and cholesterol in the rat. Feeding a high fat diet for 2-3 months depressed the incorporation in vitro of the methyl carbon of acetate into liver glycogen and fatty acids in fed animals. In contrast, the incorporation of isotope into hepatic cholesterol was stimulated in fasted rats previously fed a high fat diet. Evidence is presented which suggests that these phenomena are reflections of depressed glycogenesis and fatty acid synthesis and accentuated cholestero-genesis in the livers of the fat-adapted animals. These adaptations appear to be established by prolonged fat feeding and tend to persist during the early fasting period.