Whole-egg diet delays the age-related impaired glucose tolerance of BHE/Cdb rats.

The effects of dietary egg on the age-related progression of impaired glucose tolerance and glomerulonephropathy in diabetes-prone BHE/Cdb rats were studied. This rat strain mimics the human with NIDDM. The development of impaired glucose tolerance was delayed in rats fed the whole-egg diet, however, feeding this diet resulted in elevated hepatic weight but had no effect on the age-related changes in renal lesions or renal function. We conclude that in this animal model for NIDDM, the development of glomerulonephropathy is independent of the development of impaired glucose tolerance and that diet can affect the time course for impaired glucose tolerance without affecting renal disease development.