title: Effect of Nicotinic Acid (Vitamin B3 or Niacin) on the lipid profile of diabetic and non - diabetic rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the efficacy of nicotinic acid on the lipid profile of diabetic and non diabetic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was an experimental study done at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Pakistan between May 2010 to July 2010. Nicotinic acid was administered to a hypercholesterolemic group and a hypercholesterolemic + diabetic Group of Albino rats for 42 days and response to therapy was recorded on day 21 and day 42 of the experiment. Comparison among these two groups as well as three control groups was determined by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and differences were considered significant at (P<0.05). A total of 50 rats were included in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lipid profile of the hypercholesterolemic group as well as hypercholesterolemic + diabetic group as compared with the control groups showed highly significant improvement on the day 21 and day 42 of the experiment. The values of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and total lipids (TL) showed highly significant decrease whereas serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol showed highly significant increase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nicotinic acid is the most effective agent available in increasing HDL cholesterol and lowering serum TC, triglycerides (TG), LDL cholesterol and TL in hypercholesterolemic Diabetic and hypercholesterolemic non-diabetic Albino rats.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Talmeez Zeb Shah, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, akistan.
authors.forename: Talmeez
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zeb Shah
authors.affiliation: Dr. Abdul Basit Ali, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, akistan.
authors.forename: Abdul Basit
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Prof. Dr. Saghir Ahmad Jafri, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, akistan.
authors.forename: Saghir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmad Jafri
authors.affiliation: Prof. Dr. M.H. Qazi, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, akistan.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Qazi
keywords: Diabetic and non diabetic Hyper-cholesterolemic rats; Lipid profile; Nicotinic acid