Abstract
Aims The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pterostilbene (PTS) (trans-3,5-dimethoxy-4′-hydroxystilbene) and resveratrol (RSV) (trans-3,5,4′ trihydroxystilbene) applied at different doses for the treatment of streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic rats. Materials and Methods At the end of the 5-week experimental period, the right gastrocnemius muscles of the rats were examined biomechanically, while the left ones were examined histologically. In addition, blood glucose, serum insulin, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were analyzed in blood samples taken from the rats. Results The skeletal muscle isometric contraction forces, which showed a decrease with diabetes, were observed to increase with antioxidant applications. Blood glucose, serum insulin, and MDA levels in diabetic rats approached normal levels after applying PTS. When the electron microscopic images of the rat skeletal muscle were examined, those in the combination treatment group were observed to show a better enhancement in the skeletal muscle morphological structure compared to the other diabetic and treatment groups. Conclusion According to the findings, we suggest that these antioxidant treatments might have good therapeutic nutraceutical potential for some muscle diseases that coexist with diabetes. These treatments should be comprehensively investigated in the future.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus causes biomechanical and bioelectrical changes due to structural degeneration in skeletal muscles
Improved glycemic levels can be a consequence of higher glucose utilization by cells, which oxidize glucose as a metabolic energy source, thereby protecting adipose and muscle tissue and recovering body weight in diabetic animals treated with antioxidants
Studies suggest that RSV has antioxidant effects at low doses and pro-oxidant effects at high doses [41]
Summary
Diabetes mellitus causes biomechanical and bioelectrical changes due to structural degeneration in skeletal muscles. It is still unclear what kind of degradation at the cellular level causes these changes. PTS, on the other hand, has been proven to significantly reduce the pathological changes observed in the liver and kidney as a consequence of diabetes. The greater bioavailability of PTS (80%) compared to RSV (20%) makes the former potentially more advantageous as a therapeutic agent [8, 9]. Nutraceuticals used in medical applications are thought to have little or no side effects on metabolism and have received considerable attention in recent years due to their reliable utility in many pathological conditions, including diabetes [10, 11]
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