Metabolic responses in a model of insulin resistance: comparison between oral glucose and meal tolerance tests.

The purpose of this investigation was to compare the benefits of a meal tolerance test (MTT) against those of an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in one of the most commonly used models of insulin resistance, the Zucker fatty rat. Comparison of these two oral challenges will facilitate determination of the most effective means of inducing both glucose and insulin responses in this particular model and allow for possible therapeutic benefits to be examined more effectively. Eight-week-old Zucker fatty rats (n = 7 or 8) were used to perform either an OGTT or a MTT following an overnight fast. The OGTT contained a final amount of carbohydrate (CHO) of 1.2 g/kg body weight (BW). The MTT (commercially available liquid meal), in addition to having fat and protein, included a final amount of available CHO and volume to match the OGTT. A saline-treated group served as control. A greater glucose excursion was observed following the OGTT compared to the MTT. The maximal change in glucose from baseline was 140 +/- 10 mg/dL (a 2.1-fold rise) for the OGTT compared to 86.3 +/- 6.1 mg/dL (a 1.7-fold rise) for the MTT (P <.05). The MTT induced a greater change from baseline in insulin response compared to the OGTT (7.5 +/- 1.1 v 3.9 +/- 0.5 ng/mL, MTT v OGTT, respectively; P <.05). The saline challenge induced only minimal glucose and insulin responses in comparison to the other treatments. These results suggest that, in a model of insulin resistance, the MTT is a more potent insulin stimulator than glucose alone. A mixed meal, such as a MTT, provides a complete nutrient challenge (CHO, fat, and protein) that will induce both glucose and insulin responses, enabling a better capacity to detect differences in one of the most often used models of insulin resistance, the Zucker fatty rat. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.