Effect of pancreatectomy or adrenalectomy on the responses of rats to meal-feeding
Kaul, L.; Berdanier, C.D.
Journal of Nutrition 105(9): 1176-1185
1975
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-3166 PMID: 1159533 Document Number: 91927
Partial removal of pancreas reduced glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and malic enzyme (ME) activities in rat liver, increased blood glucose but did not affect adaptation to feeding. Insulin supplements restored enzyme and glucose contents. On a diet of 66.5% glucose 80% of adrenalectomized rats died and the amounts of the 2 enzymes and lipid in liver were greater than for adrenalectomized rats fed to appetite and for sham-operated fed rats; diets containing starch 66.5 or fat 40.5% improved survival; glucocorticoid supplements reduced G6PD but not ME or liver lipid; liver and serum cholesterol contents were lower than for intact fed rats and adrenalectomized rats fed to appetite and increased with glucocorticoid supplements. It was concluded that adaptation to meal feeding involved an adrenal response to the periodic absence of energy intake and that the degree of this response is determined by diet composition.