title: Paradoxical organ-specific adaptations to streptozotocin diabetes mellitus in adult rats.
abstract: Adult male Fisher rats injected with streptozotocin (Stz) to produce diabetes mellitus demonstrated a significant loss of total body weight associated with adipose and muscle tissue wasting. Paradoxically, intestinal mass and length were increased in Stz-treated rats despite catabolism of other tissues. Concomitant with increased intestinal mass, food and water intake increased significantly in Stz-diabetic animals. Renal weight was not reduced despite the fall in total body weight. It is proposed that the adult Stz-diabetic rat responds to a loss of available insulin by polyphagia, polydipsia, and catabolism of adipose and muscle tissue and that a large percentage of available synthetic fuel is devoted to the production of additional intestinal tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35294.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Pillion
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Atchison
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Stockard
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Clements
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Grizzle
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001835:Body Weight; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000473:pathology*; D004064:Digestive System / Q000473:pathology; D004326:Drinking; D004435:Eating; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D013311:Streptozocin; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D013311:Streptozocin