A role for insulin in the diet-induced thermogenesis of cafeteria-fed rats

Rats fed a varied and palatable “cafeteria” diet exhibited hyperphagia, increases in resting metabolic rate (VO₂) and the thermogenic response to noradrenaline as well as hypertrophy of brown adipose tissue (BAT). In streptozotocin-diabetic rats, cafeteria feeding failed to produce increases in VO₂ or the response to noradrenaline, although BAT mass was greater than in their respective stockfed controls. Replacement doses of insulin (protamine-zinc-insulin, PZI) at two levels (2 and 4 units/rat every alternate day) failed to restore the thermogenic response of diabetic rats to the cafeteria diet. Acute replacement (8 units PZI) 12hr before the measurements resulted in resting and noradrenaline-stimulated values for VO₂ that were similar to those of non-diabetic cafeteria rats. These findings suggest an insulin requirement for diet-induced thermogenesis and the failure of diabetic rats to maintain body temperature when exposed to cold (5°C) suggests a further insulin requirement for cold-induced thermogenesis. In non-diabetic cafeteria rats, plasma insulin levels were significantly lower than those of stock fed controls in spite of a high carbohydrate intake and normal blood glucose.