Altered Plasma Butyrylcholinesterase Activity in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Hypertensive Rats Does Not Reflect Impaired Liver Function.

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) has recently been associated with metabolic imbalance. A correlation between plasma activity and lipid and glucose metabolism has been reported in animal models and human patients. Here, we investigated plasma BChE activity in a rat model of comorbid hypertension and type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) induced by a single injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 55 mg/kg) in male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) (SHR+DM). The SHR+DM animals exhibit the main characteristics of the human comorbid pathology, including hypertension and hyperglycemia. Although STZ lowered blood pressure in SHR, the animals remained hypertensive as compared to the Wistar controls. Plasma levels of triacylglycerols, cholesterol and HDL were increased, while markers of liver damage such as ALT, AST, were increased and albumin was decreased. Plasma BChE activities were similar in Wistar and SHR. In SHR+DM, plasma BChE activity was increased by 43 %. Interestingly, liver BChE activity and relative mRNA expression were decreased by 60 % in SHR and SHR+DM. While plasma BChE activity is often used as a clinical marker of liver injury, our results suggest that it may not be a reliable indicator. Key words Butyrylcholinesterase " Streptozotocin " Spontaneously hypertensive rats " Diabetes mellitus " Liver damage.