[Effect of Liuweidihuang pills in preventing diabetes mellitus in OLETF rats].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of Liuweidihuang pills in preventing diabetes in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats.


METHODS
Forty male OLETF rats were randomized equally into Liuweidihuang pill group and control group, with 10 male LETO rats as the normal control group. In Liuweidihuang pill group, the rats were given the pills intragastrically at the daily dose of 2.4 mg/kg since 8 weeks of age, and the rats in the other two groups received water instead. Blood glucose of the rats was determined by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and the body weight and food intake were monitored on a weekly basis. At 8, 32 and 40 weeks, the rats were sacrificed and the expression level of adiponectin mRNA in the adipose tissue was detected using RT-PCR.


RESULTS
Treatment with Liuweidihuang pills significantly lowered the increment of the blood glucose and postponed the onset of hyperglycemia in the rats. Compared with the control group, the rats in Liuweidihuang pill group showed significantly increased expression of adiponectin mRNA in the adipose tissue. The rats receiving Liuweidihuang pills developed diabetes at 30 weeks of age with an incidence of 28.6% at 40 weeks, significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Liuweidihuang pills can significantly increase the expression of adiponectin mRNA in the adipose tissue and decrease the incidence of type 2 diabetes in OLETF rats.
Qian
Yi
Y
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. gzqy1226@21cn.com
Xue
Yao-ming
YM
Li
Jia
J
Zhu
Bo
B
Pan
Yong-hua
YH
Zhang
Yan
Y
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D020334:Rats, Inbred OLETF
D052242:Adiponectin; C499920:Adipoq protein, rat; D001786:Blood Glucose; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C476907:liu-wei-di-huang wan