title: Studies on the role of insulin in N metabolism changes in cafeteria-fed rats.
abstract: The present work studies the serum insulin response to cafeteria feeding and the possible role of this hormone in the marked N retention induced by cafeteria feeding. Rats fed a cafeteria diet for periods of 10, 20 and 30 days showed a significant and progressive increase in serum insulin levels. In order to elucidate the possible intervention of this hormone in the marked N retention induced by cafeteria feeding we studied the changes in N metabolism in non-diabetic and streptozotocin-diabetic rats fed a cafeteria diet for 10 days. The amount of N ingested was the same in all experimental groups. Our results suggest that insulin is not absolutely indispensible in the N retention exhibited by cafeteria-fed rats, inasmuch as cafeteria feeding also promotes a decrease in N excretion in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. This is in accordance with the reduction in urea excretion and the activities (U/g liver) of the ureogenic enzymes in streptozotocin-diabetic rats fed a cafeteria diet.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D006963:Hyperphagia / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014508:Urea / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D014508:Urea; D009584:Nitrogen