862 XIV. NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF FATS 



is believed by tliese investigators to be caused by an increase in the 

 deposition of fat. Similar effects were reported by Bornstein and Nelson^^ 

 for rats suffering from alloxan diabetes. These workers observed that 

 diabetic rats were able to utilize fat and to convert it to glycogen, regardless 

 of the severity of the diabetes produced by alloxan. 



Reports in the literature indicate that the nature of the fat has some 

 effect upon its ability to combat the diabetogenic action of alloxan. An- 

 gelico and Galamini Ligori^^ found that rabbits on diets supplemented 

 with olive oil were most sensitive toward alloxan. These animals developed 

 disturbances of the nervous system within eight days after the initiation 

 of the oil supplementation. In some cases, complete paralysis of the 

 hind quarters ensued. It was found that alloxan was more toxic for 

 rabbits fed on a high-fat diet than for those on normal regimens. In 

 fact, alloxan administered to rabt)its on a standard diet proved toxic and 

 even lethal when the animals had pre\'iously received a high-fat diet 

 (olive oil).^^ 



Houssay and Martinez*^ pointed out the Aariation in sensitivity to 

 alloxan and to the development of pancreatic diabetes in rats as influenced 

 by different diets. They found that the toxic and diabetogenic action 

 increased in rats fed a low-protein diet, and to an even greater degree 

 when large amounts of lard or ox fat were given. ^*~^'' Methionine, thiamine 

 or thiouraciP^ added to the diets decreased the toxicity of the alloxan, 

 and complete protection was afforded when a diet high in coconut oil was 

 employed.^^ In pancreatic diabetes, Martinez^^ found that, in general, 

 a high carbohydrate diet afforded better protection than did a diet rich in 

 fat. The susceptibility of partially pancreatectomized rats on a high- 

 lard diet was especially marked in the over-fed group, and in the case of 

 rats which received one large feeding per day; it was less notable when 

 the animals were fed smaller amounts in three installments.^^ Rodriguez 

 and KrehP^ confirmed this finding in alloxan diabetes, and also found 

 that coconut oil decreased the incidence of the condition. 



Pancreatectomized rats, receiving minimal doses of insulin, were force- 

 fed a diet containing large amounts of corn oil and smaller proportions of 



8* J. Bornstein and J. F. Nelson, Med. J. Ausiraha, 1949, 1, 121-126. 



86 R. Angelico and M. Galamini I.igori, Bnll. soc. chim. bioL, SI, 536-539 (1949). 



8^ R. Angelico and M. Galamini Ligori, Bull. soc. chim. bioL, 31, 540-543 (1949). 



88 B. A. Houssay and C. Martinez, Science, 105, 548-549 (1947). 



89 B. A. Houssay and C. Martinez, Rev. soc. argentina bioL, 24, 242-248 (1948). 



90 C. Martinez, Rev. soc. argentina bioL, 21, 332-337 (1945). 



91 C. INIartinez, Acta Physiol. Lalinoamer., 1, Part JI, 135-162 (1951). 



92 C. Martinez, Rev. soc. argentina bioL, 22, 414-425 (1946). 



93 R. R. Rodriguez and W. A. Krehl, Federation Proc, 10, 391-392 (1951). 



