The effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes and of insulin supplementation on glycogen metabolism in rat liver

The effects of streptozotocin-induced diabetes and of insulin supplementation to diabetic rats on glycogen-metabolizing enzymes in liver were determined. The results were compared with those from control animals. The activities of glycogenolytic enzymes, i.e. phosphorylase (both a and b), phosphorylase kinase and protein kinase (in the presence or in the absence of cyclic AMP), were significantly decreased in the diabetic animals. The enzyme activities were restored to control values by insulin therapy. Glycogen synthase (I-form) activity, similarly decreased in the diabetic animals, was also restored to control values after the administration of insulin. The increase in glycogen synthase(I-form) activity after insulin treatment was associated with a concomitant increase in phosphoprotein phosphatase activity. The increase in phosphatase activity was due to (i) a change in the activity of the enzyme itself and (ii) a decrease in a heat stable protein inhibitor of the phosphatase activity.