Diabetics often have elevated levels of serum lipids and cholesterol and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes was used to determine whether elevated serum cholesterol levels in diabetics are due to loss of control of hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, which catalyzes the committed step in cholesterol synthesis. Strain A/ST female mice were fed 10% corn oil diets, half with 2% cholesterol. Experimental groups were injected with 9.0 mg streptozotocin / 100g body weight. Diabetes was confirmed by weight loss, elevated blood sugars, and enlarged spleens. Reductase activity was assayed spectrophotometrically. Serum cholesterol levels were determined by gas liquid chromatography. Both diabetic and control mice fed cholesterol had elevated serum cholesterol levels and decreased reductase activities. These observations suggest that HMG CoA reductase is not the primary control point in the control of serum cholesterol levels in diabetic mice. The increase in serum cholesterol in the SI mice was not more than in the control group, suggesting that increased serum cholesterol is not a key factor in the control of coronary heart disease and related diseases in diabetics. The HMG CoA reductase activity was reduced in both SI and control mice fed 2% cholesterol, but not significantly, possibly due to a small sample size. Other substances that control serum cholesterol are all density classes of lipoproteins (high, intermediate, low, and very low) as well as the chylomicrons. / Department of Biology
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/184122 |
| Date | January 1991 |
| Creators | Esche, Curtis A. |
| Contributors | Ball State University. Dept. of Biology., Bennett, Alice S. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | iv, 56 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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