Effects of a high fructose and sucrose intake on metabolic parameters in obese diabetic rats

Abstract

The relationship between a high consumption of fructose-swee- tened foods and obesity and its co-morbidities remains contro- versial. In this study the effects of three isocaloric and isolipidic diets containing different carbohydrates - fructose, sucrose and starch (AIN 93) - on biomass, abdominal fat depots, blood and liver lipid profile and hepatic histopathology in adult male IIMb/ obese and diabetic rats were evaluated. Plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol were significantly higher in fructose and sucrose groups, while liver lipids showed higher levels in the starch-fed group. There were no differences in hepatic histology in the three groups. The findings of this study support the hypothesis that sugar-rich diets -with fructose or sucrose - replacing starch in equivalent amounts produce similar effects in plasma glucose- lipid profile.