Disordered expression of hepatic glycolytic and gluconeogenic enzymes in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats with spontanteous long-term hyperglycemia.

Expression of key regulatory enzymes involved in glucose metabolism was studied in the livers of Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats, a model of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. The activity and mRNA levels of glucokinase and L-type pyruvate kinase was increased in the liver of OLETF rats compared with control rats. There was no such remarkable change in liver-type phosphofructokinase. The activities of glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-biphosphatase also increase despite high plasma levels of glucose and insulin. The activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase did not show any significant change. The mRNA levels for fructose-1,6-biphosphatase, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase exhibited no marked changes. These results suggest that the expression of glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-biphosphatase is disordered in OLETF rats.