Lowering Of Fasting Blood Glucose Research Articles

In vivo antihyperglycaemic and antihyperlipidemic activities and chemical constituents of Solanum anomalum

Solanum anomalum is a plant used ethnomedically for the treatment of diabetes. The study was aimed to validate ethnomedical claims in rat model and identify the likely antidiabetic compounds. Leaf extract (70–210 mg/kg/day) and fractions (140 mg/kg/day) of S. anomalum were evaluated in hyperglycaemic rats induced using alloxan for effects on blood glucose, lipids and pancreas histology. Phytochemical characterisation of isolated compounds and their identification were performed using mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Bioinformatics tool was used to predict the possible protein targets of the identified bioactive compounds. The leaf extract/fractions on administration to diabetic rats caused significant lowering of fasting blood glucose of the diabetic rats during single dose study and on repeated administration of the extract. The hydroethanolic leaf extracts also enhanced glucose utilization capacity of the diabetic rats and caused significant lowering of glycosylated hemoglobin levels and elevation of insulin levels in the serum. Furthermore, triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, and VLDL-cholesterol levels were lowered significantly, while HDL–cholesterol levels were also elevated in the treated diabetic rats. There was absence or few pathological signs in the treated hyperglycaemic rat pancreas compared to that present in the pancreas of control group. Diosgenin, 25(R)-diosgenin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranoside, uracil, thymine, 1-octacosanol, and octacosane were isolated and identified. Protein phosphatases along with secreted proteins are predicted to be the major targets of diosgenin and the diosgenin glycoside. These results suggest that the leaf extract/fractions of S. anomalum possess antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic properties, offer protection to the pancreas and stimulate insulin secretion, which can be attributable to the activities of its phytochemical constituents.

Sequential Extraction, Characterization, and Analysis of Pumpkin Polysaccharides for Their Hypoglycemic Activities and Effects on Gut Microbiota in Mice.

This study aimed to extract polysaccharides from pumpkin, characterize the structures of four of them, and evaluate their in vitro antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities. Additionally, an animal model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was established and used to determine their hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects in vivo, and the underlying mechanisms related to the regulation of gut microbiota. Water-extracted crude pumpkin polysaccharides (W-CPPs), water extraction and alcohol precipitation crude pumpkin polysaccharides (WA-CPPs), deproteinized pumpkin polysaccharides (DPPs), and refined pumpkin polysaccharides (RPPs) were sequentially extracted and purified from pumpkin powder by hot water extraction, water extraction, and alcohol precipitation, deproteinization and DEAE-52 cellulose gel column, respectively. The extraction and purification methods had significant influence on the extraction yield, physicochemical properties, and in vitro antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities. W-CCP and RPPs had a significant positive free radical-scavenging capacities and inhibitory activities on α-glucosidase and α-amylase. RPP-3 not only inhibited the uptake of glucose in Caco-2 monolayer but also promoted the excretion of glucose, while RPP-2 had no inhibitory effect. Animal experiment results showed that W-CPP treatment significantly improved the T2DM symptoms in mice, which included lowering of fasting blood glucose (FBG), reducing insulin resistance (IR), and lowering of blood lipid levels. It increased the diversity of intestinal flora and reduced the harmful flora of model mice, which included Clostridium, Thermoanaerobe, Symbiotic bacteria, Deinococcus, Vibrio haematococcus, Proteus gamma, and Corio. At the family level, W-CPP (1,200 mg/kg) treatment significantly reduced the abundance of Erysipelotrichaceae, and the Akkermanaceae of Verrucobacterium became a biomarker. Pumpkin polysaccharides reshaped the intestinal flora by reducing Erysipelotrichaceae and increasing Akkermansia abundance, thereby improving blood glucose and lipid metabolism in the T2DM mice. Our results suggest that W-CCP and RPP-3 possess strong antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities, and are potential candidates for food additives or natural medicines.

The cardiovascular‐protective properties of saffron and its potential pharmaceutical applications: A critical appraisal of the literature

Saffron, the dried stigma of Crocus sativus L., is used in traditional medicine for its healing properties and the treatment of various pathological conditions. The present literature review aimed to summarize and evaluate the preclinical and clinical data regarding the protective effects and mechanisms of saffron and its main components (crocin, crocetin, safranal) on cardiovascular risk factors and diseases. Many in vitro and animal studies have been conducted implicating antioxidant, hypolipidemic, anti-diabetic, and antiinflammatory impact of saffron and its constituents. Notably, there is evidence of direct atherosclerosis regression and stabilization in valid atherosclerosis-prone animal models. However, current clinical trials have shown mostly weak effects of saffron and its constituents on cardiovascular risk factors: (a) Modest lowering of fasting blood glucose, without significant reduction of HbA1c in type 2 diabetic patients, (b) moderate/controversial hypolipidemic effects, (c) negligible hypotensive effect, and (d) inconsistent modification of metabolic syndrome parameters. There are important drawbacks in clinical trial design, including the absence of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic tests, the wide variance of doses and cohorts' characteristics, the small number of patients, the short duration. Therefore, large, properly designed, high-quality clinical trials, focusing on specific conditions are required to evaluate the biological/pharmacological activities and firmly establish the clinical efficacy of saffron and its possible therapeutic uses in cardiovascular diseases.

Free radical scavenging and antidiabetic activities of Euonymus laxiflorus Champ. extract

In recent years, due to the undesirable side-effects of synthetic drugs used to treat diabetes, research into herbal medicines for treatment of this disease has increased. Euonymus laxiflorus Champ. belongs to the Celastraceae family, long used in traditional Vietnamese medicine by ethnic people living in Dak Lak Province of Vietnam. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of methanol extract of Euonymus laxiflorus Champ. trunk bark. The antioxidant activity was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, and the antidiabetic activity was determined by inhibition of digestive enzymes and lowering of fasting blood glucose in diabetic rats. The contents of flavonoids and polyphenols were also determined spectroscopically. The results indicated that trunk bark extract of Euonymus laxiflorus Champ. possessed relatively high antioxidant activity with 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) of 0.60 mg/ml, compared with 0.24 mg/ml for l-ascorbic acid as positive control. Furthermore, the extract also exhibited relatively higher α-glucosidase inhibitory and moderately lower α-amylase inhibitory effects compared with acarbose. Moreover, the extract could lower fasting blood glucose levels in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes but without inducing body weight loss, compared with acarbose. However, the extract did not produce any hypoglycemic effect in normal rats at dose up to 300 mg/kg body weight. These results suggest that methanol extract of Euonymus laxiflorus Champ. may prove to be useful in treating type 2 diabetes.

Glucose-lowering agents for treating pre-existing and new-onset diabetes in kidney transplant recipients.

Glucose-lowering agents for treating pre-existing and new-onset diabetes in kidney transplant recipients.

Effect of integrated yoga therapy on glycemic control and pulmonary function tests in borderline noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients of Central India

Background: Diabetes initiates degenerative changes in various organs of body. Lungs are also affected, producing restrictive and obstructive abnormalities and predisposing them to infections including tuberculosis. These may lead to decrease in pulmonary functions. Timely intervention can lead to reversal of this problem. Yoga can offer simple and cost-effective adjunct. Objectives: To study the effect of integrated yoga therapy (IYT) on glycemic control and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in borderline noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients of Central India. Materials and Methods: Randomly selected 50 newly diagnosed patients of borderline NIDDM in the age group of 30-60 years who were not put on any antidiabetic medicines and were advised diet therapy and exercise as therapeutic measures by their physicians. We offered IYT and diet therapy for 3 months to these patients. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and PFTs were measured at the outset of study and at the end of 3 months. Statistical analysis is done by paired t-test. Results: Showed a significant decrease in FBG (117.8-99.56 mg/dl), PBG (177.8-154.82 mg/dl), HbA1c (5.93-5.71%) and improvement in PFTs (forced vital capacity [FVC] 2.59-2.95 L, forced expired volume 1 (FEV1) 2.05-2.41 L, FEV1/FVC 79.09-81.54%, peak expiratory flow rate 6.99-7.33 L/s). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated the efficacy of IYT in lowering of FBG, PBG, HbA1c and improving the lung functions, i.e. preventing the targeting of lungs in NIDDM.

Effects of Thiazolidinediones on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: a Meta-analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials

Thiazolidinedione (TZD) is one of the therapy options for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients; however, the effectiveness of TZD in the treatment of PCOS remains controversial. The aim of this metaanalysis was to clarify the role that TZDs play in the treatment of PCOS. The authors searched the following databases for any date up to June 2012 for randomized controlled trials on PCOS treatment in which interventions for the experimental and control groups were TZDs and placebo, respectively: Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane library. The search strategy identified 173 potential publications, eight of which were included. In the treatment of PCOS, the insulin-lowering effects of TZDs were superior to placebo (95% CI -1.50 to -0.12; P=0.021), and the lowering of fasting blood glucose was superior to placebo (95% CI -1.06 to -0.05; P=0.031). There was no difference in reduction of the Ferriman-Gallwey scores or the androgen levels between TZDs and placebo (95% CI -0.57 to 0.10; P=0.169 and 95% CI -0.64 to 0.09; P=0.141, respectively). The effects of TZDs on body weight reduction were inferior to placebo (95% CI 0.13 to 0.66; P=0.003). Significant between-study heterogeneity was detected for several variables assessed. This is the first meta-analysis to evaluate the role that TZDs plays in the treatment of PCOS compared with placebo. The currently available data showed that TZDs can effectively reduce insulin and fasting blood glucose levels in patients with PCOS, but TZDs may not effectively reduce the Ferriman-Gallwey score or androgen levels and may increase body weight.

Metabolic effects of time-released garlic powder tablets in type 2 diabetes mellitus: the results of double-blinded placebo-controlled study

Late complications in type 2 diabetic patients are commonly associated with accelerated development of atherosclerosis. In type 2 diabetes mellitus, non-enzymatic glycosylation of apo-B that is a function of hyperglycaemia is an efficient biochemical way of low-density lipoprotein atherogenic modification. So, proper metabolic control is needed to prevent late complications of diabetes. The study was performed to estimate the effects of time-released garlic powder tablet Allicor on the parameters of metabolic control and plasma lipids in type 2 diabetes mellitus. The metabolic action of Allicor was investigated in the 4-week double-blinded placebo-controlled study in 60 type 2 diabetic patients. Fasting blood glucose was measured daily, and serum fructosamine as well as cholesterol and triglyceride levels were determined at the baseline, after 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks. It has been demonstrated that treatment with Allicor resulted in better metabolic control due to the lowering of fasting blood glucose, serum fructosamine and serum triglyceride levels. The results of this study may allow recommending garlic powder tablets Allicor for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus along with dietary treatment and/or sulfonylurea derivatives to achieve better metabolic control. The benefits from garlic preparations may lead to the reduction of cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients.

Human insulin production and amelioration of diabetes in mice by electrotransfer-enhanced plasmid DNA gene transfer to the skeletal muscle.

A first-line gene therapy for type 1 diabetes should be based on a safe procedure to engineer an accessible tissue for insulin release. We evaluated the ability of the skeletal muscle to release human insulin after electrotransfer (ET)-enhanced plasmid DNA injection in mice. A furin-cleavable proinsulin cDNA under the CMV or the MFG promoter was electrotransferred to immune-incompetent mice with STZ-induced severe diabetes. At 1 week, mature human insulin was detected in the serum of 17/20 mice. After an initial peak of 68.5 +/- 34.9 microU/ml, insulin was consistently detected at significant levels up to 6 weeks after gene transfer. Importantly, untreated diabetic animals died within 3 weeks after STZ, whereas treated mice survived up to 10 weeks. Fed blood glucose (BG) was reduced in correspondence with the insulin peak. Fasting BG was near-normalized when insulin levels were 12.9 +/- 5.3 (CMV group, 2 weeks) and 7.7 +/- 2.6 microU/ml (MFG group, 4 weeks), without frank hypoglycemia. These data indicate that ET-enhanced DNA injection in muscle leads to the release of biologically active insulin, with restoration of basal insulin levels, and lowering of fasting BG with increased survival in severe diabetes. Therefore the skeletal muscle can be considered as a platform for basal insulin secretion.

Role of Spirulina in the Control of Glycemia and Lipidemia in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Spirulina, with its high concentration of functional nutrients, is emerging as an important therapeutic food. This study aimed to evaluate the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic role of Spirulina. Twenty-five subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomly assigned to receive Spirulina (study group) or to form the control group. At baseline, the control and study groups were matched for various variables. The efficacy of Spirulina supplementation (2 g/day for 2 months) was determined using the preintervention and postintervention blood glucose levels, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) levels, and lipid profiles of the diabetic subjects. Two-month supplementation with Spirulina resulted in an appreciable lowering of fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose levels. A significant reduction in the HbA(1c) level was also observed, indicating improved long-term glucose regulation. With regard to lipids, triglyceride levels were significantly lowered. Total cholesterol (TC) and its fraction, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), exhibited a fall coupled with a marginal increase in the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). As a result, a significant reduction in the atherogenic indices, TC:HDL-C and LDL-C: HDL-C, was observed. The level of apolipoprotein B registered a significant fall together with a significant increment in the level of apolipoprotein A1. Therefore, a significant and favorable increase in the ratio of A1:B was also noted. These findings suggest the beneficial effect of Spirulina supplementation in controlling blood glucose levels and in improving the lipid profile of subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Prevention of Diabetic Nephropathy by Diet Control in the db/db Mouse

Diabetes in the C57BL/KsJ(db/db) mouse is initially expressed as hyperinsulinemia, followed by hyperphagia, progressive obesity, and widespread pathologic abnormalities. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of metabolic control on the natural history of the diabetic nephropathy. Beginning at 1 mo of age and continuing for 12 wk, diabetic mice were subjected to controlled dietary restriction, such that their weight was maintained similar to that of age-matched, nondiabetic heterozygotes. Diet-restricted diabetics were compared with diabetics fed ad libitum and heterozygote nondiabetics. Significant lowering of fasting blood glucose, water intake, and plasma insulin was achieved by diet restriction. The diet-restricted diabetes demonstrated enhanced metabolic efficiency, consuming approximately half as much food as the nondiabetics, while maintaining a similar weight. Diabetics fed ad libitum evidenced well-defined renal lesions that included 3 + to 4 + immunoglobulin deposition in the glomerular mesangium, and generalized mesangial matrix expansion. These lesions were completely prevented in diet-restricted diabetes whose glomeruli were normal light microscopy, and demonstrated trace to 1 + mesangial immunoglobulin deposition, features identical in all respects to the nondiabetics. These results indicate that diabetic control achieved by preventing of obesity in the db/db mouse prevents the development of diabetic nephropathy.

Alternatives in pancreatic islet transplantation: tissue culture studies.

Culture of islets isolated from the pancreas of neonatal rats successfully preserved function for 6 days, as indicated by release of insulin into the culture medium and reversal of experimental diabetes bu cultured islet isografts. Release of insulin into the culture medium correlated with lowering of fasting blood glucose in the diabetic recipient. Intravenous glucose tolerance was normal in recipients of immediate and 24-h cultured islets but abnormal in recipients of 6-day cultured islets. Culture of the islets isolated from human pancreases (cadaveric) resulted in islet purification but at the expense of loss of islets, with only 1--5% surviving 1 wk of culture. During 8--10 days in culture, insulin release declined, and histological examination revealed only a few viable islets. Islets isolated from surgical specimens survived the culture conditions as demonstrated by viable cell clumps and insulin secretion. After an 85% pancreatectomy in the patient with chronic pancreatitis, islets were isolated, cultured for 7 days, and then autografted into muscle pockets and the subcutaneous space of the forearm. There was no evidence of function.

Treating, eating and impeding.

It has become increasingly difficult to define a specific therapeutic approach for the patient with mild, adult-onset diabetes whose blood glucose remains elevated in spite of dietary treatment. The recent furor precipitated by the Cooperative study of the University Group Diabetes Program (UGDP)1 that questions the efficacy of the sulfonylurea-type hypoglycemia agents has created a dilemma both for the physician and for his diabetic patient. The study, performed in 12 university centers, indicates that the sulfonylureas have no long-term effect on the lowering of fasting blood glucose in mild diabetes and that the death rate from cardiovascular disease is appreciably . . .