Glucose turnover in BHE rats fed EFA deficient hydrogenated coconut oil.

The effects of feeding corn or hydrogenated coconut oil on various parameters of glucose metabolism in prediabetic BHE rats was studied. Weanling rats were fed a 6% fat-64% sucrose diet. At seven weeks of age, the rats were weight matched within diet treatments. Half of the rats were injected with 6(3)H/U14C glucose while their weight matched counterparts were injected with U14C alanine and 3HOH. Diet had no effect on glucose mass, glucose space, hepatic glycogen or blood glucose levels. However, diet did affect other parameters. HCO fed rats had higher fractional irreversible glucose turnover rates, fractional glucose carbon recycling, hepatic fatty acid synthesis rates, adipose fatty acid synthesis rate, lower muscle glycogen and lower rates of incorporation of glucose into muscle glycogen than corn oil fed rats. These differences in glucose flux explain the maintenance of glucose homeostasis in these prediabetic coconut oil fed rats in the face of increased fatty acid and glucose synthesis.