• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.712-716
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• 2000

The Purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of soluble dietary fiber psyllium on insulin sensitivity and skeletal muscle glucose transporter 4(GLUT4) protein expression in stroke-prone hypertensive rats(SHRSP) fed a high-fat diet containing 5% of psyllium or cellulose from five to nine weeks of age. Obtained results were as follows : (1) In the psyllium diet group fasting plasma glucose level was significantly reduced and glucose levels upon oral glucose tolerance test were significantly lower than cellulose diet group at 30 min(p<0.05) and 60 min(p<0.01) (2) Skeletal muscle GLUT4 contents were significantly increased in the soleus(slow twitch) and extensor digitorum longus(fast twitch) muscle of psyllium diet group. (3) However there was no difference in insulin levels in the fasting and oral glucose tolerance test. These results indicated that psyllium diet improves peripheral insulin sensitivity but not insulin secretion. In conclusion our present finding suggest that soluble fiber diet is effective to increase insulin sensitivity in SHRSP. From these results it was suggested that soluble dietary fiber supplementation effectively prevents insulin resistance.