title: Protective effects of combined micronutrients on islet beta-cells of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.
abstract: There is a tendency for the incidence of diabetes in a population to increase with an improvement in living standards. This would imply the involvement of nutritional factors in the development of diabetes, and so nutritional considerations could be a key aspect in the research and development of an effective remedy for diabetes. In this study, combined micronutrients (selenium, vitamin E, vanadium, and chromium) were orally supplemented to streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Results showed that combined micronutrients could decrease the high blood glucose levels (p<0.05 or p<0.01) of diabetic mice. The protective effects of combined micronutrients on structures of beta-cells in pancreatic islets of diabetic mice were observed histopathologically and ultrastructurally. In addition, the supplementation of combined micronutrients increased insulin expression by beta-cells in pancreatic islets of diabetic mice at both translational and transcriptional levels. The immune molecular mechanisms involved were preliminarily regarded as downregulation of the expression of pathogenic T-helper 1 lymphocyte (Th1) cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) (p<0.01) along with upregulation of the expression of protective T-helper 2 lymphocyte Th2 cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) (p<0.01) which ameliorates the Th1/Th2 imbalance in diabetes. In conclusion, supplementation of combined micronutrients to diabetic mice could effectively improve disordered glucose metabolism, protect islet structures, and improve the function of beta-cells in pancreatic islets, which are affected by differential regulation of the expression of Th1/Th2 cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Central Research, The Third Clinical College, Jilin University, Xiantai Street No. 126, Changchun 130033, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Gui-Zhen
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Song-Lan
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: De-Ming
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsicopoulos
authors.forename: Sun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ying
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002857:Chromium; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007328:Insulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018977:Micronutrients; D020011:Protective Agents; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012643:Selenium; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000378:metabolism; D014639:Vanadium; D014810:Vitamin E
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D016207:Cytokines; D007328:Insulin; D018977:Micronutrients; D020011:Protective Agents; D014639:Vanadium; D002857:Chromium; D014810:Vitamin E; D012643:Selenium