Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of chronic administration of an angiotensin II receptor antagonist (Irbesartan) and/or curcumin on blood glucose level, insulin sensitivity, and proinflammatory cytokines in experimentally-induced type-2 diabetes in albino rats.
Materials & Methods: The study comprised 50 male albino rats; 20 rats as control group and 30 rats were maintained on high-fat diet for 2-weeks and had induced non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) using intraperitoneal injection of a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ) in a dose of 50 mg/kg and 1-week later, rats were subdivided into three equal subgroups received oral irbesartan (2.5 mg/kg/day), oral curcumin (200 mg/kg) and both lines in that defined doses, respectively, for 6 weeks. Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) was used for clinical assessment. Two fasting venous blood samples were obtained after induction of diabetes and prior to initiation of therapy and at 6-wks after treatment for estimation of fasting insulin (FI), fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α).
Results: Both lines of treatment either alone or in combination induced significant reduction of FBG and FI levels compared to their pre-treatment levels and administration of curcumin either alone or in combination with irbesartan induced significant reduction of FBG compared to irbesartan, but combination therapy significantly lower FI levels compared to animals received either irbesartan or curcumin alone. Post-treatment HOMA-IR indices were significantly improved in the studied subgroups compared to pre-treatment levels, with the effect was more significantly pronounced with the used combination of curcumin and irbesartan. Furthermore, post-treatment serum levels of studied cytokines were significantly lower compared to pre-treatment levels, irrespective of line of treatment applied and administration of curcumin, either alone or in combination with irbesartan significantly reduced serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α compared to irbesartan alone.
Conclusion: Chronic administration of irbesartan/curcumin combination showed anti-diabetic effect manifested as decreased FBG and FI levels and ameliorated the increased serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The use of such combination could be recommended for clinical trials so as to document its use for control of type-2 diabetes.
|
