Insulin sensitizing activity of ethyl acetate fraction of Acorus calamus L. in vitro and in vivo.
Acorus calamus L. (AC), family Araceae, have been used in the Indian and Chinese systems of medicine for hundreds of years. The radix of AC is widely used in the therapy of diabetes in traditional folk medicine of America and Indonesia.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the insulin sensitizing activity and antidiabetic effects of the ethyl acetate fraction of AC (ACE).


METHODS
Glucose consumption mediated by insulin was detected in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells. Diabetes and its complications related indexes were monitored after orally administrating to genetically obese diabetic C57BL/Ks db/db mice daily for 3 weeks.


RESULTS
ACE (12.5 and 25 microg/ml) increased glucose consumption mediated by insulin in L6 cells (p<0.05 and p<0.01). In db/db mice, ACE (100 mg/kg) significantly reduced serum glucose, triglyceride, reinforce the decrease of total cholesterol caused by rosiglitazone (at least p<0.05), and markedly reduced free fatty acid (FFA) levels and increased adiponectin levels (p<0.01 and p<0.05) as rosiglitazone did (p<0.05 and p<0.001). Serum insulin was decreased but not significantly. In addition, ACE decreased the intake of food and water, and did not increase body weight gain whereas rosiglitazone did.


CONCLUSIONS
Owing to the ability of insulin sensitizing, ACE has the potential to be useful for the treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular complications without body weight gain.
Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Biochemical Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 388 Yu-hang-tang Road, Hangzhou, China. fwhs@zju.edu.cn
Hao-Shu
HS
Wu
Di-Feng
DF
Zhu
Chang-Xin
CX
Zhou
Chu-Rui
CR
Feng
Yi-Jia
YJ
Lou
Bo
B
Yang
Qiao-Jun
QJ
He
D000085:Acetates / Q000737:chemistry; D029023:Acorus / Q000737:chemistry*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008820:Mice, Obese; D018485:Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000077154:Rosiglitazone; D045162:Thiazolidinediones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
D000085:Acetates; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D010936:Plant Extracts; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D000077154:Rosiglitazone; C007650:ethyl acetate; D005947:Glucose