Insulin-Resistant Rat Model induced by High-Fat Feeding and Dexamethasone

Objective To induce an insulin-resistant(IR) animal model and investigate the effects of glucocorticoid and high-fat feeding on plasma glucose,glucose tolerance test (GTT),lipid level,hepatic glycogen content,muscle glycogen content and plasma insulin level in the insulin-resistant rats.Methods The insulin resistance model was induced by high-fat feeding,dexamethasone(DEX) and high-fat feeding plus DEX in rats,respectively.Normal male rats were divided into control group,high-fat feeding model group,DEX-treated group and high-fat feeding plus DEX group,10 rats in each group.Several parameters in the rats were measured.Results The plasma glucose level,glucose tolerance test(GTT),plasma insulin level,hepatic glycogen content,muscle glycogen content and FFA in both high-fat feeding group and DEX-treated groups were significantly increased compared with those of normal control group.Those changes were most significant in the rats of high-fat feeding plus DEX group.Conclusion Dexamethasone can induce insulin resistance,high-fat feeding can aggravate the effect induced with DEX.High-fat feeding and DEX together can be reliably and conveniently used to induce a insulin-resistant IR rat model.