puerarin and Disease-Models--Animal

The antihyperglycemic action of puerarin, purified from the roots of Pueraria lobata, was investigated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (STZ-diabetic rats). Bolus intravenous injection of puerarin decreased the plasma glucose concentrations in a dose-dependent manner in STZ-diabetic rats. Similar treatment with puerarin also decreased the plasma glucose in normal rats, although the effect was not as great as that in STZ-diabetic rats. Puerarin at the effective dose (15.0 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the increase of plasma glucose induced by an intravenous glucose challenge test in normal rats. In the isolated soleus muscle of STZ-diabetic rats, puerarin enhanced the uptake of radioactive glucose in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, the mRNA and protein levels of the subtype 4 form of glucose transporter (GLUT4) in soleus muscle were increased after repeated intravenous administration of puerarin in STZ-diabetic rats for 3 days. These results suggest that puerarin can increase the glucose utilization to lower plasma glucose in diabetic rats lacking insulin.

Topics: Animals; Blood Glucose; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Glucose; Glucose Transporter Type 4; Hypoglycemic Agents; Insulin; Isoflavones; Molecular Structure; Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; Muscle Proteins; Muscle, Skeletal; Plant Roots; Plants, Medicinal; Pueraria; Rats; RNA, Messenger; Streptozocin; Taiwan