Abstract
This study investigates the effects of the water-soluble and organic-soluble Trichosanthes extracts on the hyperglycemic condition in streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic rats. The blood glucose levels, body weights, water intake, and urine volumes of rats in different experimental groups were monitored throughout the experiment, and the results obtained indicate that the two extracts can effectively reduce blood sugar levels, increase body weights, and improve water intake and urine volumes in diabetic rats. Based on blood biochemical analyses, the two extracts play an important role in regulating the diabetes-induced lipid metabolism disorder, increasing the levels of insulin and C-peptide, and alleviating the symptoms of diabetes. The variation in the liver glycogen contents of the water-soluble fraction and ethanol fraction groups suggests that the mechanisms underlying the hypoglycemic effects of the two extracts are different. Indeed, the water-soluble fraction alleviates diabetes symptoms in rats mainly by antioxidative activity, unlike the ethanol fraction.
Highlights
Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an organ-specific disease mediated by autoimmune deficiency and the selective destruction of islet B cells [1, 2]
The body weights, blood glucose levels, water consumption, and urine volumes of rats were detected before the experiment, and they were found to be normal in all rats
The body weights of rats in the water-soluble and ethanol fraction groups increased at the end of the experiment, and their blood glucose decreased to levels lower than the model standard level (16.5 mmol/L) (Table 1 and Figures 1(a)–1(d))
Summary
Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an organ-specific disease mediated by autoimmune deficiency and the selective destruction of islet B cells [1, 2]. Despite the optimization of insulin administration, the disease leads to chronic hyperglycemia and hyperglycemic episodes in most patients [5, 6] These conditions are associated with severe clinical symptoms and complications such as ketoacidosis and hypoglycemic coma, and they shorten the life expectancy of patients by more than 10 years. During the past 30 years, many clinical trials of immune intervention have been carried out, and several treatments have been tested, including immunomodulatory drugs, regulatory T cells, stem cell therapy, and islet transplantation [9, 10]. These trials can delay the decline of islet B cell function or limit the duration of insulin therapy by inhibiting autoimmune response or islet B cell replacement, they still have their own limitations [11–13]. Very few efficient drugs are currently available for the treatment of T1DM [14]
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