title: Uromastyx acanthinura as a natural treatment in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oral testimonies from North Africa attribute anti-diabetic effects to medicinal preparations of the lizard Uromastyx acanthinura (UA). No scientific evidence of such effects is currently available. The acute effects of oral administration of UA to C57Bl/6J mice with diet-induced diabetes were tested and, if effectiveness was shown, the effect of subchronic UA administration was assessed in the same model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice were fed a diet containing 60% fat for at least 12 weeks. To assess acute effects, different doses of UA or saline were orally administered with 2g of glucose/kg during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) on different days in a randomised crossover design. The most effective dose was then fed together with the high-fat diet for 90 days and compared to high-fat diet alone in a parallel design. Body weight (BW), food consumption, welfare, and external appearance were assessed weekly. HbA1c, OGTT, and intraperitoneal insulin tolerance tests (IPITT) were performed at baseline and after treatment. Severity of neuropathy was evaluated by cold allodynia response in the acetone test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  UA significantly decreased glucose levels as compared to saline 15min after administration. After 90 days of treatment, no differences were seen in OGTT or HbA1c between the groups, while IPITT showed higher glucose levels in UA-treated animals. Although weight increase was similar in both groups, weight tended to be higher in the treated group, which had a significantly higher daily food consumption. Cold allodynia response improved in frequency and intensity in the UA group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Orally administered UA acutely decreased blood glucose in diabetic mice. Paradoxically, long-term administration of UA increased food consumption, weight, and insulin resistance. Improved nociceptive response suggested an effect on pain and/or neuropathy. Although additional studies are needed to elucidate the properties and potential applications of UA, our results highlight the value of ethnomedical approaches to African traditional medicine as starting point to evaluate new bioactive components.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Yeray
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Brito-Casillas
authors.affiliation: Sección de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: López-Ríos
authors.affiliation: Sección de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Julia C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wiebe
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Mediavilla
authors.affiliation: Sección de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Nóvoa-Mogollón
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ojeda
authors.affiliation: Sección de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular Materno Infantil de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias de la Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. Electronic address: ana.wagner@ulpgc.es.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wägner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000628:therapy*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000628:therapy*; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008116:Lizards; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D001786:Blood Glucose
keywords: African traditional medicine; Animal reduction; Cross-over design; Diabetes; Diseño cruzado; Medicina tradicional africana; Neuropathy; Neuropatía; Reducción animal; Uromastyx