This study was designed to evaluate the effect of estrogen and testosterone
hormones on glucose tolerance and lipid profile in Fructoseinduced
insulin resistant rats. Eighty rats (40 males and 40 females)
were used in this study and were divided into 4 groups of 10 male and
10 female rats. Group (1) served as a control group and was allowed to
grow on chow diet and water. Group (2) was grown on chow diet and
fructose solution 10% instead of drinking water. Group (3) was grown as
group (2) and received daily subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of estradiol
benzoate (50 pg /kg) and group (4) was grown as group (2) and received
daily s.c. injections of testosterone undecanoate (2 mg /kg). The whole period
of the experiment for all groups was 10 weeks. All rats were weighed
before and after the experiment and the percent of the weight gain was
calculated for each rat. The following parameters were estimated; fasting
plasma insulin (Fl), intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT), plasma
triglycericles (TG), total cholesterol (PC), high-density lipoproteincholesterol
(HDL-c) and low- density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c). In
group (2) there was sign!ficant hyperinsulinemia, impaired glucose tolerance
and abnormal lipid profile as compared to control group. These abnormalities
were more significant in male than female rats. In group (3)
estrogen treatment improved most of these abnormalities in male and female
rats while in group (4) testosterone treatment could ameliorate some
of the abnormalities in lipid profile in female rats. It could be concluded
that estrogen and testosterone hormones may have a role in ameliorat-trig some of the metabolic abnormalities associated with fructose-induced
insulin resistance syndrome and may have important metabolic homeostatic
functions that need further clarification. |
