Goat Milk Consumption Ameliorates Abnormalities in Glucose Metabolism and Enhances Hepatic and Skeletal Muscle AMPK Activation in Rats Fed with High‐fat Diets

SCOPE: Diabetes endangers health and causes serious economic impediment. The aim of this study is to identify the effects of goat milk consumption on glucose metabolism of rats with high-fat (HF) diet. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixty male Sprague Dawley rats are divided into five groups and fed with different diets for 24 weeks: goat-milk-based HF diet (GHF group; goat milk powder+HF diet), cow-milk-based HF diet (CHF group; cow milk powder+HF diet), HF diet, HF diet plus acarbose (HF+A group; acarbose+HF diet), and chow diet (CD group). Fasting glucose in GHF-fed rats are lower than HF-fed rats on weeks 16 and 20. GHF-fed rats display improved insulin sensitivity in oral glucose and insulin tolerance tests. Compared with HF-fed rats, glycated hemoglobin and triglycerides in GHF-fed rats are lower and high-density lipoprotein level is higher. AMP-activated protein kinase activation (AMPK) in the liver and skeletal muscle is higher in GHF rats than HF rats. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose 6-phosphatase protein levels in the liver are lower and hexokinase 2 protein level in the skeletal muscle is higher in GHF rats compared with HF rats. CONCLUSION: Goat milk consumption can ameliorate abnormalities in glucose metabolism, and AMPK pathway in the liver and skeletal muscle plays an important role in the process.