Novel synergic antidiabetic effects of Astragalus polysaccharides combined with Crataegus flavonoids via improvement of islet function and liver metabolism.

Abstract

The present study investigated the synergic effects and potential mechanisms of action of Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) combined with Crataegus flavonoids (CF) in the treatment of type1 diabetes. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 100mg/kg streptozotocin in mice. Normal and untreated diabetic control mice were used, and CF‑treated (200mg/kg/day), APS‑treated (200mg/kg/day), APS+CF (AC)‑treated (200mg/kg/day of each) and metformin‑treated (200mg/kg/day) diabetic mice were orally administrated the appropriate therapeutic agent for 4weeks. The results demonstrated that AC treatment significantly reduced the fasting blood glucose, food and water intake in the diabetic mice. The AC group demonstrated increased serum insulin levels and islet cell function was restored. Furthermore, the AC‑treated mice demonstrated significant increases in the protein expression levels of pancreatic and duodenal homeobox‑1 and phosphorylated adenosine 5'‑monophosphate‑activated protein kinase in the pancreatic and liver tissue samples, respectively. In addition, AC significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of neurogenin3, v‑mafmusculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene family, proteinA and insulin, and simultaneously decreased the expressions of interleukin6, tumor necrosis factor‑α and chemokine (C‑C motif) ligand2 in the pancreatic islet cells of diabetic mice. The anti‑inflammatory activity of APS and the islet‑restoring effect of CF may contribute to the improvement of islet function. AC exerted greater antidiabetic effects compared with APS or CF treatments alone. These results indicated that AC treatment had a synergic antidiabetic effect, which may involve improvements in islet function and liver metabolism. These effects of AC may facilitate the treatment of type 1or2 diabetes, as these patients frequently experience impaired islet function and disordered extrapancreatic metabolism.