Mary Charlotte Stephenson1, Sherif Awad2, Elisa Placidi1, Luca Marciani2, Kenneth C. H. Fearon3, Ian A. Macdonald4, Robin C. Spiller2, Penny A. Gowland1, Peter Gordon Morris1, Dileep N. Lobo2
1SPMMRC, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; 2Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre Biomedical Research Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; 3Department of Surgery, University of Edinburgh, Ednburgh, UK; 4School of Biomedical Sciences,, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, UK
Short-term starvation has been shown to induce insulin resistance in hepatic and skeletal muscle tissue although the metabolic processes involved are unknown. The aim of this study was to measure changes in hepatic and skeletal muscle glycogen and lipid content in order to understand substrate metabolism leading to an insulin resistant state following short-term starvation and re-feeding using a carbohydrate rich drink. Short-term starvation induced decreases in hepatic liver glycogen and lipid stores, with associated decreases in liver volume. Lipid levels in calf muscle increased due to starvation which may be the mechanism via which tissue becomes insulin resistant.
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