Progressive Hyperglycaemia in Experimental Obesity of Albino Rats

Abstract

THE coincidence of two hereditary metabolic disorders, diabetes and obesity^1,2, is quite common although their interrelationship is still a matter of speculation as there is no proof that obesity causes diabetes. On the other hand, the importance of various physiological conditions, such as obesity, puberty or pregnancy, in precipitating diabetes cannot be overlooked. Few experimental observations record their coincidence. Mayer et al.³ showed the connexion between obesity and diabetes in an obese-hyperglycaemic strain of mice. Long⁴ mentioned that only with great difficulty was a temporary diabetes-like state induced in hypothalamic obesity in albino rats by partial pancreatectomy. Except for the observation of Katsuki et al.⁵, who induced obesity and hyperglycaemia by gold thioglucose injection in intact mice, there is no recorded evidence that in intact animals hyperglycaemia results from obesity. While investigating the metabolic character of obese albino rats, we had already noticed that the fasting blood sugar was significantly high in these animals in comparison to control animals⁶.