Effects of sugar‐reducing device on fasting blood glucose and insulin in diabetic patients and diabetic rats

Abstract

Studies on treatment of diabetes have mainly focused on medical therapy, but studies about effects of physical therapy on diabetes has seldom been reported. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of sugar-reducing device (SRD) on diabetes in diabetic patients and diabetic rats. SRD exerts a therapeutic or beneficial effect by stimulating acupoints and meridians on back of diabetic patients and diabetic rats for 10 days. Diabetic rats were made by injection of alloxan (1.5%, 50mg/kg, i.v.) after rats were fasted for 24 hours. Diabetic rats were divided into SRD-treated diabetic group (n=8) and diabetes alone group (n=8). Also normal rats were selected as control (n=8). After treatment with SRD for 10 days, SRD-treated diabetic rats had lower level of fasting blood glucose (12.52±0.75∗ vs 16.54±0.57mmol/L, P<0.05), higher level of fasting insulin (15.101±0.77∗ vs 12.42±0.65μIU/ml, P<0.05) and lower level of glucagons (78.36±7.82∗ vs 109.64±7.23pg/ml, P<0.05) than untreated diabetic rats. Twelve noninsulin-dependent diabetic patients received treatment with SRD for 10 days. Nine of 12 SRD-treated diabetic patients had lower level of fasting blood glucose (10.70±0.92 vs 12.72±1.43mmol/L, P<0.05), higher insulin sensitivity index (6.29±1.07 vs 4.46±0.64, P<0.05) and lower level of glucagons (95.72±9.78 vs 182.67±19.64pg/ml, P<0.01) compared with the baseline before treatment. Other 3 of 12 SRD-treated diabetic patients were unaffected. The present study indicates that sugar-reducing device exerts a beneficial effect in diabetic patients and diabetic rats, and it will be potentially recommended as an adherence to treatment of diabetes.