title: Effect of an aqueous extract of Cucurbita ficifolia Bouché on the glutathione redox cycle in mice with STZ-induced diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cucurbita ficifolia is used in Mexican traditional medicine as an anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory agent and its actions can be mediated by antioxidant mechanisms. Disturbance in the homeostasis of glutathione has been implicated in the etiology and progression of diabetes mellitus and its complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was evaluated, the effect of an aqueous extract of Cucurbita ficifolia on glycemia, plasma lipid peroxidation; as well as levels of reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione and activities of enzymes involved in glutathione redox cycle: glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) in liver, pancreas, kidney and heart homogenates of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased blood glucose and lipid peroxidation, together with decreased of GSH concentration, GSH/GSSG ratio and its redox potential (E(h)), and enhanced activity of GPx and GR in liver, pancreas and kidney were the salient features observed in diabetic mice. Administration of the aqueous extract of Cucurbita ficifolia to diabetic mice for 30 days, used at a dose of 200 mg/kg, resulted in a significant reduction in glycemia, polydipsia, hyperphagia and plasma lipid peroxidation. Moreover, GSH was increased in liver, pancreas and kidney, and GSSG was reduced in liver, pancreas and heart, therefore GSH/GSSG ratio and its E(h) were restored. Also, the activities involved in the glutathione cycle were decreased, reaching similar values to controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An aqueous extract of Cucurbita ficifolia with hypoglycemic action, improve GSH redox state, increasing glutathione pool, GSH, GSH/GSSG ratio and its E(h), mechanism that can explain, at least in part, its antioxidant properties, supporting its use as an alternative treatment for the control of diabetes mellitus, and prevent the induction of complications by oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación Médica en Bioquímica, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, IMSS, México, México. mardiaz2001@yahoo.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Díaz-Flores
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Angeles-Mejia
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Baiza-Gutman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Medina-Navarro
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hernández-Saavedra
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ortega-Camarillo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roman-Ramos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Alarcon-Aguilar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D028464:Cucurbita; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D005638:Fruit; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D051379:Mice; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D020799:Pancrelipase / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D020799:Pancrelipase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005978:Glutathione; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide