This study is to evaluate the anti-diabetic effects of the
alpha-glucosidase inhibitor valibose in a
streptozotocin (STZ)-induced
type 1 diabetes rat model. Diabetes was induced by a single dose of STZ (58 mg x kg(-1), ip) in SD rats, rats with elevated fasting
blood glucose levels (250-450 mg x dL(-1)) were selected and divided into five groups (n = 10 in each). Another ten normal SD rats were chosen as normal group.
Valibose mixed with the high
sucrose diets (0.4, 1.0 and 2.5 mg 100 g(-1) diets) or
acarbose (30 mg x 100 g(-1) diets) was administrated in the diabetic rats for about 5 weeks. In all groups, fasting and postprandial plasma
glucose, plasma
lipids,
glycosylated serum protein,
N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG),
creatinine (Cre), blood
urea nitrogen (BUN) and urine
sugar levels were determined during the treatment. At the end of the experiment, the morphological alterations in kidney were evaluated by
hematoxylin-
eosin (HE) staining. After 3-weeks administration,
valibose significantly decreased postprandial and fasting
blood glucose, urine
glucose, and reduced the levels of serum
fructosamine.
Valibose also decreased plasma
triglyceride and
cholesterol levels after 4 weeks treatment. These results indicated that
valibose ameliorated metabolic disturbance of
glucose and
lipids in STZ-induced diabetic rats. In addition,
valibose markedly reduced level of serum NAG and BUN, and decreased the weight index of kidney. HE staining showed reduced kidney pathological changes after
valibose treatment. The findings of the present study indicate that
valibose may be a novel
alpha-glucosidase inhibitor for the prevention from
hyperglycemia in STZ-induced
type 1 diabetes rats. And
valibose might have a potential role for protecting against
diabetic nephropathy during
hyperglycemia.