Abstract
Hepatic enzyme activities were assayed on yellow KK and KK mice with various diabetic
states. Yellow KK mice in overt diabetes showed higher activities of enzyme involving
glycolysis (glucokinase and pyruvate kinase) and pentose phosphate cycle (6-phosphogluconate
dehydrogenase) than KK mice in chemical diabetes between 5 and 16 weeks of age. The
same trend was also noted not only on lipogenic enzymes (ATP citrate lyase, malic
enzyme and acetyl-CoA carboxylase) but on gluconeogenic enzymes (glucose-6-phosphatase
and fructose-1,6-diphosphatase). The observed alterations disappeared with remission
of clinical entity in 52 weeks old yellow KK mice.
Nutritionally obese KK mice, fed a high calorie diet, showed hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia
accompanying the same alteration of hepatic enzymes as that observed in yellow KK
mice. Alloxan administration resulted in decreases in glycolytic enzymes in yellow
KK mice to the same levels as observed in KK mice. Elevations of gluconeogenic enzyme
levels due to the treatment were remarkable in KK but not in yellow KK mice, which
could be accounted for by fully elevated enzyme levels in yellow KK mice before the
treatment
All these data indicated that increases in the activities of the enzymes involving
glycolysis, pentose phosphate cycle, lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis were associated
with exaggeration of diabetes by obesity. These enzymic alterations may reflect hyperinsulinism
and impairment of suppressive action by insulin on gluconeogenic enzymes.
Key words
Yellow KK Mice - KK Mice - Diabetes - Obesity - Hepatic Enzymes - Glycolysis - Lipogenesis
- Pentose Phosphate Cycle - Gluconeogenesis - Insulin Action - Alloxan Diabetes -
Diet