Adipocyte insulin responsiveness in female Sprague-Dawley rats fed a low fat diet containing a fat-mimetic carbohydrate

Two experiments examined the effects of replacing high fat with low fat diets on adipocyte insulin sensitivity and response. Female Sprague-Dawley rats had free access to diets containing 21% (control), 61% (high fat) or 2% (low fat) of energy as fat. In the low fat diet a carbohydrate-based fat- mimetic carbohydrate replaced all but the essential fat present in the high fat diet. Insulin-stimulated glucose utilization by isolated adipocytes was measured after 10, 30 or 50 d. In a second study adipocyte insulin saturation curves were measured after 36 d. Rats fed the high fat diet for 30 d were insulin resistant and adipocyte basal and insulin-stimulated glucose utilization were depressed. The low fat diet initially stimulated glucose utilization of adipocytes but did not change insulin responsiveness. After 50 d there was no difference in glucose utilization between adipocytes from rats fed control and low fat diets. Insulin resistance in rats fed the high fat diet was associated with a nonsignificant reduction in insulin receptor number. These observations do not exclude the possibility of a post-receptor defect in glucose utilization.