Immunoreactive gastric inhibitory polypeptide and K cell hyperplasia in obese hyperglycaemic (ob/ob) mice fed high fat and high carbohydrate cafeteria diets.

The effect of diet composition on plasma and intestinal concentrations of immunoreactive gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and intestinal K cell density was examined in obese hyperglycaemic (ob/ob) mice. The mice were reared from 3 to 11 weeks of age on either stock diet, a high fat (HF) cafeteria diet or a high carbohydrate (HC) cafeteria diet. The HF cafeteria diet increased the concentration of GIP in plasma (75%) and in the intestine (118%) and increased the density (54%) of GIP-secreting K cells in the upper jejunum compared with the stock diet. Plasma and intestinal GIP concentrations were not significantly altered by the HC cafeteria diet, although the density of K cells in the upper jejunum was increased (45%). The extent of hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia in ob/ob mice was not significantly altered by the HF and HC cafeteria diets. The results indicate that an increased amount of dietary fat chronically stimulates the production and secretion of GIP, and enhances intestinal K cell density in ob/ob mice.