ANTIDIABETIC EFFECTS OF ACANTHOPANAX GRACILISTYLUS IN STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED TYPE 1 DIABETIC RATS

Yang Yang¹, Hui Li¹, Man-Xia Lu², Jiao Luo², Xiang-Qian Liu^{2, *}

¹School of Agronomy and Life Sciences, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, China - ²School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China

Introduction: Our study aimed to find out whether the leaves of Acanthopanax gracilistylus with the ethanol extract have the antidiabetic effects in streptozotocin (STZ) induced type 1 diabetic rats. 

Materials and methods: Type 1 diabetic rats were induced by intraperitoneal STZ injection with 75 mg/kg. The animals were divided randomly with six rats in each group. The study lasted 28 days with daily administration, and at the end of the experiment, the rats were euthanized, the plasma/serum was separated for the biochemical parameters. The pancreatic tissue was used for histopathological and immunohistochemical measurement of NF-κB. 

Results: Treatments of Acanthopanax gracilistylus (100 mg/kg) group led to a significant reduction in diabetic rats in blood glucose was assessed at 2 h by the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The treatment also resulted in insulin level (from 0.33 ng/ml reduced to 0.59 ng/ml), lipid profile (triglyceride lever was reduced from 206.18 to 139.16 mg/dl, and total cholesterol level was reduced from 129.08 to 100.04 mg/dl. By inhibiting NF-κB, the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in diabetic rats induced by STZ was inhibited. In pancreatic tissues, Simultaneous observation of histopathological damage. 

Conclusion: These findings support the beneficial effect of the leaves of Acanthopanax gracilistylus treatment in diabetic rats, and we attribute it to its anti-diabetic effects.