Effects of phlorizin on vascular complications in diabetes db/db mice.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Diabetic macrovascular complications are important causes of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and also one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Phlorizin has been reported to be effective in reducing the blood glucose level in diabetic mellitus, while little is known about its effects on vascular complications. This study aimed to observe the effects of phlorizin on the aorta of diabetes db/db mice and explore its mechanism.

METHODS:

Diabetic db/db mice (n = 16) and age-matched db/m mice (n = 8) were divided into three groups: normal control group (CC group, db/m mice, n = 8), untreated diabetic group (DM group, db/db mice, n = 8) and diabetic group treated by phlorizin (DMT group, db/db mice, n = 8). Phlorizin (20 mg/kg body weight) was given in normal saline solution intragastrically for 10 weeks. Animals were weighed weekly. At the 10th weekend, all mice were fasted overnight and then sacrificed. Fasting blood was collected, and the aortas were dissected. The blood samples were analyzed for fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum advanced glycation end products (AGEs), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, the aortic ultrastructure was studied.

RESULTS:

The weight and serum concentration of FBG, AGEs, and MDA in the DM group were higher than that in the CC group (P < 0.01), and they were significantly lower in the DMT group (P < 0.05). Serum SOD activity was lower than that in the CC group (P < 0.01), and it is significantly higher in the DMT group (P < 0.05). The severity of aorta damage in the DMT group was less than that in the DM group.

CONCLUSIONS:

Phlorizin protected the db/db mice from diabetic macrovascular complications, attributed to the decreasing of blood glucose and AGEs level, and its antioxidant potential. This study may provide a new natural medicine for treating diabetic macrovascular complications.

• Authors: Lin Shen, Bei-An You, Hai-Qing Gao, Bao-Ying Li, Fei Yu, Fei Pei
• Journal: Chinese medical journal (Chin Med J (Engl)) Vol. 125 Issue 20 Pg. 3692-6 (Oct 2012) ISSN: 2542-5641 [Electronic] China
• PMID: 23075726 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Blood Glucose
• Glycation End Products, Advanced
• Phlorhizin
• Superoxide Dismutase

Topics

• Animals
• Aorta, Thoracic (pathology)
• Blood Glucose (analysis)
• Diabetic Angiopathies (drug therapy, pathology)
• Glycation End Products, Advanced (metabolism)
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Phlorhizin (therapeutic use)
• Superoxide Dismutase (metabolism)