The Changes of Plasma Lipoproteins in Rat with Diabetes Induced by Streptozotocin

Diabetes was induced in Wistar male rats by streptozotocin given peritoneally. The control rats received the rame volume of buffer. Twelve days after injection of streptozotocin, the levels of plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol and free fatty acid increased significantly as compared with those of the control rats. The plasma very low density lipoprotejn-choleslerol (VLDL-C) of the diabetic rats was twice as much as that of the control rats. No difference in low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and high density lipoproteincholesterol (HDL-C) was found between the two groups. However, the HDL3 in diabetic rats increased significantly. These results indicated that the degradation of VLDL was reduced in diabetic rats and concurrently the conversion of HDL3 to HDL2 was impaired. Therefore, we are led to assume that the accumulation of VLDL remnants and the impairment of reverse transport of tissue cholesterol may facilitate the development of atherosclerosis in diabetes mellitus.