Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes Alters The Serum Lipid Profiles Of Adult Wistar Rats

This study assessed the changes in serum lipid profiles of experimentally-induced diabetic Wistar rats with view to elucidate the effects STZ induced diabetes on the serum levels of cholesterol and triglycerides of Wistar rats. Twenty adult Wistar rats were randomly assigned into two groups (A and B) of ten rats each. Group A was the control, while Group B was the STZ treated group. The body weight, blood glucose level and serum lipid profiles were monitored in all the animals for four weeks before the commencement of the experiment and throughout the experimental period. Diabetes mellitus was experimentally induced in groups B rats by daily intra-peritoneal administration of multiple doses of 40mg/kg streptozotocin dissolved in 0.1M sodium citrate buffer for 5 consecutive days. The control group was given equivalent volume of citrate buffer. The animals were monitored for four weeks after streptozotocin administration. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The result revealed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in the serum level of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of diabetic rats when compared with the control rats while a significant decrease in the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was obtained. The study revealed that induction of diabetes in rats using STZ result in development of hyperlipidemia in these rats.