The effects of high-fat diet and metformin on urinary metabolites in diabetes and pre-diabetes rat models.

High-fat diet (HFD) interferes with the dietary plan of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, many diabetes patients consume food with higher fat content for a better taste bud experience. In this study, we examined the effect of HFD on rats at the early onset of diabetes and pre-diabetes by supplementing their feed with palm olein oil to provide a fat content representing 39% of total calorie intake. Urinary profile generated from LCMS analysis was used to construct the OPLS-DA score. The data provides insights into the physiological state of an organism. Healthy rats fed with normal chow (NC) and HFD cannot be distinguished by their urinary metabolite profiles, whereas diabetic and pre-diabetic rats showed a clear separation in OPLS-DA profile between the two diets, indicating a change in their physiological state. Metformin treatment altered the metabolomics profiles of diabetic rats and lowered their blood sugar levels. For pre-diabetic rats, metformin treatment on both NC- and HFD-fed rats not only reduced their blood sugar levels to normal but also altered the urinary metabolite profile to be more like healthy rats. The use of metformin is therefore beneficial at the pre-diabetes stage. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.