title: Hypoglycemic effect of Octomeles sumatrana aqueous extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and its molecular mechanisms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the hypoglycemic effect of the aqueous extract of Octomeles sumatrana (O. sumatrana) (OS) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (STZ) and its molecular mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg) in to male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were divided into six different groups; normal control rats were not induced with STZ and served as reference, STZ diabetic control rats were given normal saline. Three groups were treated with OS aqueous extract at 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 g/kg, orally twice daily continuously for 21 d. The fifth group was treated with glibenclamide (6 mg/kg) in aqueous solution orally continuously for 21 d. After completion of the treatment period, biochemical parameters and expression levels of glucose transporter 2 (Slc2a2), glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK1) were determined in liver by quantitative real time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Administration of OS at different doses to STZ induced diabetic rats, resulted in significant decrease (P<0.05) in blood glucose level in a dose dependent manner by 36%, 48%, and 64% at doses of 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 g/kg, respectively, in comparison to the STZ control values. Treatment with OS elicited an increase in the expression level of Slc2a2 gene but reduced the expression of G6Pase and PCK1 genes. Morefore, OS treated rats, showed significantly lower levels of serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and urea levels compared to STZ untreated rats. The extract at different doses elicited signs of recovery in body weight gain when compared to STZ diabetic controls although food and water consumption were significantly lower in treated groups compared to STZ diabetic control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  O. sumatrana aqueous extract is beneficial for improvement of hyperglycemia by increasing gene expression of liver Slc2a2 and reducing expression of G6Pase and PCK1 genes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohd Aidil
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Azahar
authors.forename: Ghanya
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Al-Naqeb
authors.forename: Mizaton
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasan
authors.forename: Aishah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adam
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D029624:Ferns / Q000737:chemistry*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D051273:Glucose Transporter Type 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005952:Glucose-6-Phosphatase / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D010729:Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (GTP) / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D051273:Glucose Transporter Type 2; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; C495683:Slc2a2 protein, rat; D005952:Glucose-6-Phosphatase; D010729:Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (GTP)