Fat content of body may interact with fat soluble hormones

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Insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, poly cystic

ovarian syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease etc are increasing

at an alarming rate world over.

 

As there is no real cure for these diseases, prevention of management

of these disorders is achieved successfully by life style

interventions.

 

To know how preventive measures will help to reduce or treat these

disorders, we need to know some basic about these diseases.

 

Fat feeding potentiates the diabetogenic effect of dexamethasone in

Wistar rats

 

Abstract

Background

 

The role of cortisol and its increased action/availability is

implicated in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance associated with

obesity and metabolic syndrome but the mechanism of increased action/

availability is not known. Availability of several other lipophilic

hormones, drugs and pollutants are also reported to be increased in

obesity. Increased lipids in the circulation are reported to alter the

fluidity and permeability of membranes. Hyperlipidemia is also

reported to alter the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of

lipophilic molecules and also membrane fluidity and permeability. In

this context we assumed that the hyperlipidemia associated with human

obesity might play a role in the altered action/availability of

cortisol and this in turn might have initiated the metabolic

complications. To evaluate our assumption we have administered

dexamethasone [low [50 ìg/kg/day] or high [250 ìg/kg/day] dose] to

high-fat [coconut oil & vanaspati] fed rats and the results were

compared with rats administered with either dexamethasone or high-fat.

Results and Discussion

 

Within two weeks, the rats co-administered with high-fat and

dexamethasone developed severe hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and

insulin resistance compared to rats treated either of them alone. High-

fat fed rats treated with higher dose of dexamethasone were presented

with severe hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and also severe

glycosuria. The hyperlipidemia caused by high-fat feeding might have

altered the transport and distribution of dexamethasone, probably by

altering the physical state of membranes and transport proteins.

Conclusion

 

From the results obtained, it can be speculated that the altered lipid

and cortisol metabolism could affect one another, forming a vicious

cycle.

Full text of the article at:

http://www.intarchmed.com/content/1/1/7