Some effects of dietary dextrose, fructose, liquid glucose and sucrose in the adult male rat.

Abstract

1. For 26 weeks, adult male rats were fed on diets containing about 80 % of carbohydrate, given as dextrose, fructose, liquid glucose, or sucrose; their performance was compared with that of rats receiving a standard laboratory cubed diet (41 B) containing 60 % of carbohydrate, mainly as starch. 2. More of diet 41 B was eaten than of any of the diets containing sugars, but only with dextrose was the mean body-weight gain significantly lower than with diet 41 B. 3. No significant differences in body length or girth were produced by the different diets. 4. Compared with those of rats given diet 41B, plasma cholesterol levels were significantly in- creased by fructose and sucrose and to a lesser extent by dextrose, but not by liquid glucose. 5. Compared with those given diet 41 B, the rats given fructose had heavier hearts, kidneys and livers, those given sucrose had heavier hearts and livers, and those given dextrose had heavier hearts. Those given fructose had the heaviest kidneys and livers, and heavier hearts than those given liquid glucose. The organ weights of those given liquid glucose and those given diet 41 B were not significantly different. 6. Compared with the values on diet 41B, carcass and liver fat were both significantly increased by sucrose and fructose but not by dex- trose or liquid glucose. With fructose, liver fat was almost double that with dextrose or liquid glucose. 7. Dry-matter contents of whole carcass and liver followed substantially the same pattern as did the fat contents. 8. Liver protein content was significantly lower on the 80 % carbohydrate diets. The reductions were greatest with fructose and sucrose.