OBJECTIVE: Diabetes is a metabolic disorder which impairs carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. It is accompanied by cognition impairment in diabetic patients and animal models. Lipids play an important role in nerve membrane composition, structure and function. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of dietary butter and sesame oils on passive avoidance memory of streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty six adult male Wistar rats were randomly allocated to four groups: normal control (NC) and diabetic control (DC) with free access to regular rat diet and diabetic sesame oil (DS) and diabetic butter oil (DB) groups with diet supplemented by 10% butter oil and 10% sesame oil, respectively. Diabetes in DC, DS and DB rats was induced by IV injection of 50 mg/kg (body weight) STZ. Passive avoidance memory was tested six weeks after confirmation of diabetes, and cholesterol and phospholipids were measured in hippocampal tissue. RESULTS: Diabetes, especially in diabetic butter oil group decreased learning and memory. The levels of cholesterol and phospholipids in hippocampus were higher in diabetic control and diabetic butter oil (P<0.05) groups in comparison with normal control. CONCLUSION: Consumption of butter may worsen diabetic cognition impairment and the elevation of cholesterol may be a reason for diabetic cognition impairment

Keywords: diabetes, avoidance memory, butter oil, sesame oil, cholesterol, phospholipids, hippocampus

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