title: alpha-Lipoic acid prevents diabetes mellitus in diabetes-prone obese rats.
abstract: Several lines of evidence have suggested that triglyceride accumulation in skeletal muscle and pancreatic islets is causally related to type 2 diabetes mellitus. We recently showed that alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), a potent antioxidant and cofactor of mitochondrial respiratory enzymes, reduces body weight of rodents by suppressing food intake and increasing energy expenditure. We sought to determine if ALA can prevent the development of diabetes mellitus in obese Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats. Most (78%) untreated OLETF rats showed glycosuria at 40 weeks of age, but this was completely prevented by ALA. Compared with untreated OLETF rats, ALA reduced body weight and protected pancreatic beta-cells from destruction. ALA also reduced triglyceride accumulation in skeletal muscle and pancreatic islets. These results indicate that ALA prevents diabetes mellitus in obese diabetes-prone rats by reducing lipid accumulation in non-adipose tissue as well as in adipose tissue.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kee-Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Woo Je
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jung-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Hyun Sik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Youn
authors.forename: Hye-Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Eun Hee
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Min-Seon
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jang Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Youn
authors.forename: Ki-Up
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Joong-Yeol
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008063:Thioctic Acid