Differential effects of insulin injections and insulin infusions on levels of glycogen in rat adipose tissue

Abstract

Studies have shown that while injections of insulin cause an increase in fat mass, infusions of insulin increase fat mass. The aim of this paper was to test the hypothesis that if an increase in glycogen is an indicator of an impending increase in adipose mass, then insulin infusions should not increase glycogen, while insulin injections should. Normal rats were treated with insulin (or saline in control group) either by intraperitoneal injection or by tail vein infusion. In agreement with previous evidence, insulin injections increased glycogen in adipose tissue significantly within 12 hours of injection. In contrast to injections, insulin infusions failed to increase glycogen in rat adipose tissue. This report concludes that adipose tissue glycogen is a prelude to an increase in the size of adipose tissue.


(Journal of the Ghana Science Association: 2001 3(3): 1-6)