Influence of Carbohydrate-to-Fat Ratio on Metabolic Changes Induced in Rats by Feeding Different Carbohydrate-Fat Combinations

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Abstract
This study was designed to determine whether changing the relative proportions of carbohydrate and fat in the diet would influence metabolic responses in rats to different sources of the 2 nutrients. Four carbohydrate-fat combinations (glucose and fructose each with corn oil (CO) and with hydrogenated coconut oil (HCO)) were combined in high carbohydrate:low fat and low carbohydrate:high fat diets. Protein and caloric values of all diets were equivalent. Eight groups of male, weanling rats were each fed one of the experimental diets for 2 to 4 weeks. Reducing the carbohydrate-to-fat ratio from 64:5 to 19:25 (by weight) resulted in the following changes in liver functions: 1) marked reduction or complete elimination of responses of the glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose diphosphatase enzyme systems to dietary fructose; 2) significant increase in response of glucose-6-phosphatase to dietary HCO; 3) decreases in liver glycogen, to a different extent with different carbohydrate-fat combinations; 4) striking increases in total lipid in rats fed CO or HCO with glucose; and 5) increases in cholesterol in rats fed CO, and in phospholipid in rats fed HCO.