Effects of a high-protein diet on insulin resistance and body fat in catch-up growth rats born small for gestational age.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIM: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of a high-protein (HP) diet on insulin resistance and body fat in catch-up growth (CUG) rats born small for gestational age (SGA). METHODS: SGA rats were randomly divided into standard diet and HP diet groups. Perirenal fat weight and blood glucose, serum insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels were measured at 4 and/or 8 weeks. Insulin resistance and ß-cell function were evaluated by homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and HOMA%. RESULTS: The values of HOMA-IR in both CUG-SGA groups were significantly higher than those in the appropriate for gestational age (AGA) group (p < 0.01), whereas they were significantly lower in the HP diet CUG-SGA group than in the standard diet CUG-SGA group at week 8 (p < 0.01). At week 8, perirenal fat weight and adipocyte diameters were higher in both CUG-SGA groups than in the AGA group (p < 0.05), but these values were significantly lower in the HP diet CUG-SGA group than in the standard diet CUG-SGA group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The HP diet had positive effects on the prevention of insulin resistance, which may have been caused by the reduction of body fat.