Insulin Resistance: Insulin and Glucose Metabolism in Rats Fed a High Fat Diet

In post-industrialized societies, increased consumption of fat-rich diets has been correlated to increasing rates of metabolic disorders, such as Type II Diabetes, which is further linked to insulin resistance. Due to this modern epidemic, it has become exceedingly important to learn more about these disorders with the ultimate goal of developing more effective treatments. With an overall focus on insulin resistance, the main purposes of this study were to (1) differentiate between two types of insulin resistance and their corresponding measurements and to (2) demonstrate metabolic changes that occur in response to overconsumption of a calorically dense diet. This was accomplished over a 23-week timespan by applying statistical analysis to periodically measured fasting insulin and blood glucose levels in rats fed either a high fat diet or low fat (chow) diet. Body weights were also recorded. The results of this study showed that rats fed a high fat diet experienced fasting hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance compared to rats fed a chow diet, and that the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) scale and insulin-stimulated glucose disposal (ISGD) measure different types of insulin resistance. This study was unique in the fact that hepatic insulin resistance and peripheral insulin resistance were differentiated in the same rat.