Summary
The effects of prolonged feeding of diets containing various carbohydrates on the plasma insulin response to glucose (given intravenously) have been investigated in 20-day pregnant rats and compared with the effects in non-pregnant rats. In pregnant animals the insulin response was similar for all diets; the insulin concentration was approximately 120 μU/ml for at least 10 min after injecting glucose. In non-pregnant rats, except those fed glucose, the insulin response was lower than in pregnant rats. The mean insulin concentrations were80, 70 and 50 μU/ml at 2.5, 5 and 10 min after intravenous glucose. The effect of glucose feeding was to increase the response in non-pregnant animals so that it approached the values found in pregnant animals. The maximum concentrations of plasma insulin for glucose-fed pregnant and non-pregnant rats were 141±23 and 134±15 (SEM) μU/ml respectively. It was concluded that the increased availability of glucose in the diet during pregnancy plays a role in regulating the insulin secretory response.
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Bourne, A.R., Whaler, B.C. & Yudkin, J. Plasma insulin response in pregnant and non-pregnant rats: Effects of different dietary carbohydrates. Diabetologia 15, 37–40 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01219326
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01219326