[Lipid peroxidation and the physicochemical status of the plasma membranes of the liver in hyper- and hypoinsulinemia].

Experiments on rats of two age groups have shown that hyper- and hypoinsulinemia cause cholesterol accumulation in liver plasma membranes and a decrease in the level of unsaturated fatty acids resulting in the transition of membranes to a more rigid structure and decreased accessibility of polyunsaturated fatty acids to oxidation. The above changes probably prevent the activation of lipid peroxidation observed in experimental animals. In aged animals the adaptation mechanisms are less noticeable. It was suggested that the stress factor rather than the level of insulin influenced a degree of LPO process activation in membrane structures.