Antioxidant and pancreas-protective effect of aucubin on rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes

• Published in: European journal of pharmacology Vol. 582; no. 1; pp. 162 - 167
• Main Authors: Jin, Lei, Xue, Hong-Yu, Jin, Li-Ji, Li, Shu-Ying, Xu, Yong-Ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 17.03.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Antioxidant enzymes; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Blood glucose; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Catalase - biosynthesis; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - pathology; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Glucosides - pharmacology; Glucosides - therapeutic use; Glutathione Peroxidase - biosynthesis; Immunohistochemistry; Insulin-Secreting Cells - drug effects; Insulin-Secreting Cells - metabolism; Iridoid Glucosides; Iridoids - pharmacology; Iridoids - therapeutic use; Lipid Peroxidation; Male; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; Medical sciences; Pancreas; Pancreas - drug effects; Pancreas - metabolism; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Protective Agents - pharmacology; Protective Agents - therapeutic use; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Streptozocin; Superoxide Dismutase - biosynthesis; Blood glucose; Lipid peroxidation; Pancreas; Diabetes mellitus; Antioxidant enzymes; Endocrinopathy; Antineoplastic agent; Biological fluid; Rat; Enzyme; Rodentia; Lipids; Glucose; Antioxidant; Blood; Prevention; Vertebrata; Antibiotic; Mammalia; Animal; Streptozotocin; Peroxidation
• ISSN: 0014-2999; 1879-0712
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2007.12.011

Oxidative stress has been suggested as a contributory factor in development and complication of diabetes. The aim of the present study was to determine the protective effect of aucubin on lipid peroxidation and activities of antioxidant defense systems and to conduct immunohistochemical evaluation of pancreas in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Lipid peroxidation was determined by assessing the concentration of malondialdehyde and activities of antioxidant enzymes — catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in liver and kidneys of rats were determined. Changes of blood glucose and immunohistochemical evaluation on pancreas were also investigated as part of the pathology of diabetes. In our study, aucubin treatment lowered blood glucose. Diabetic rats exhibited an increase in the level of lipid peroxidation and decrease in activities of antioxidant enzymes in liver and kidneys as compared to control rats. Administration of aucubin to diabetic rats for 15 days significantly reversed damage associated with diabetes. In addition, diabetic rats showed an obvious decrease in insulin immunoreactivity and the number of β cells in pancreas, but the pancreas of aucubin-treated rats were improved and the number of immunoreactive β cells were significantly increased. These results indicated that aucubin may have value as a safe preventive or therapeutic agent against diabetes mellitus.