Early renal disease in BHE/cdb rats is less in rats fed beef tallow than in rats fed menhaden oil.

The effects of feeding a 1% corn oil-9% menhaden oil or beef tallow diet on the early phase of diabetic nephropathy in BHE/cdb rats was studied. The diet groups were subdivided into rats with or without impaired glucose tolerance. Those fed menhaden oil had renal hypertrophy, mild albuminuria, decreased creatinine clearance, increased urea clearance, and more severe lesion scores than rats fed beef tallow. No differences in glomerular filtration rate, Na+, K+-ATPase activity, sorbitol dehydrogenase, or inositol 1, 4, 5-phosphate were observed. Beef tallow-fed rats had higher serum triglyceride levels and renal cholesterol levels. Renal and hepatic fatty acid profiles reflected the fatty acid profile of the dietary fat. These results suggest that beef tallow conferred a protective effect on the renal tissues of these diabetes-prone rats.