title: Xuezhikang attenuated the functional and morphological impairment of pancreatic islets in diabetic mice via the inhibition of oxidative stress.
abstract: Xuezhikang, purified from red yeast rice, is a traditional Chinese medicine with pleiotropic effects on the cardiovascular system. Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the dysfunction of pancreas islet in diabetic condition and represents a promising therapeutical target for diabetes mellitus. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the effects and possible mechanisms of xuezhikang on the microenvironment and insulin secretion by pancreatic islets in db/db diabetic mice. Our results showed that xuezhikang decreased the blood glucose level by improving glucose tolerance and insulin secretion in db/db mice. Xuezhikang protected islets from hyperglycemic injury as illustrated by the conserved β-cell content and microenvironment. Furthermore, xuezhikang potently inhibited the expression of key factors in oxidative stress. In addition, administration of xuezhikang caused an upregulated expression of glucose-sensing apparatus. These observations provide evidence that the influence of xuezhikang on oxidative stress may at least partly account for its protective effects on the microenvironment and insulin secretion function of pancreatic islets in diabetes.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Jinling Hospital/Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China; †Department of Cardiology, Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China; and Departments of ‡Health Care, and §Endocrinology, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Jinling Hospital/Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: WeiMin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: JiaQing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: ShiSen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007328:Insulin; C496822:xuezhikang