title: Antidiabetic potential of salvianolic acid B in multiple low-dose streptozotocin-induced diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Salvianolic acids are the most abundant water-soluble compounds extracted from the herb Salvia miltiorrhiza L. (Lamiaceae) with antioxidant and protective effects.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluates the antidiabetic effect of salvianolic acid B (Sal B) in multiple low-dose streptozotocin (MLDS)-induced diabetes in rat.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were divided into control, Sal B40-treated control, diabetic, Sal B20-, and Sal B40-treated diabetic groups. Sal B was daily administered at doses of 20 or 40 mg/kg (i.p.), started on third day post-STZ injection for 3 weeks. Serum glucose and insulin level and some oxidative stress markers in pancreas were measured in addition to the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), histological assessment, and apoptosis determination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 3 weeks, treatment of diabetic rats with Sal B20 and Sal B40 caused a significant decrease of the serum glucose (p < 0.05-0.01) and improvement of OGTT. Meanwhile, serum insulin was significantly higher in Sal B20- and Sal B40-treated diabetics (p < 0.01) and treatment of diabetics with Sal B40 significantly lowered malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.05), raised glutathione (GSH) (p < 0.05), and activity of catalase (p < 0.01) with no significant change of nitrite. Furthermore, the number of pancreatic islets (p < 0.05) and their area (p < 0.01) was significantly higher and apoptosis reactivity was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the Sal B40-treated diabetic group versus diabetics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Three-week treatment of diabetic rats with Sal B exhibited antidiabetic activity which is partly exerted via attenuation of oxidative stress and apoptosis and augmentation of antioxidant system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran .
authors.forename: Safoura
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raoufi
authors.forename: Tourandokht
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baluchnejadmojarad
authors.forename: Mehrdad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roghani
authors.forename: Tooba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ghazanfari
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khojasteh
authors.forename: Monireh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mansouri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D053630:Depsides
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D001786:Blood Glucose; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; C076944:salvianolic acid B; D053630:Depsides
keywords: Apoptosis; langerhans islet; oral glucose tolerance test; oxidative stress; pancreas; serum insulin