Compatibility of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Carthami Flos regulate insulin signaling pathway and alleviate insulin resistance in mice / 药学学报

ABSTRACT

Insulin resistance refers to the impaired ability of insulin to regulate glucose metabolism in peripheral organs, which is considered to be the etiology of type 2 diabetes. This study aims to explore the mechanism of improving insulin resistance by compatibility of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Carthami Flos (DH). Insulin resistance was conducted on C56BL/6J mice by treatment of high fat diet. The energy intake and body weight, plasma levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, insulin and glucose, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT), as well as gene transcription and protein expression levels of insulin signaling pathway in liver, heart, kidney, and skeletal muscle of insulin resistance mice were evaluated. Animal experiments and welfare were performed in compliance with the guidelines of Animal Ethics Committee of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine. The results showed that DH treatment significantly alleviated the excessive food intake and weight gain, and significantly decreased the levels of plasma triglycerides and total cholesterol, and constantly mitigated the hyperinsulinemia in insulin resistance mice. The results of OGTT and ITT suggested that DH treatment dramatically improved the response of insulin resistance mice to insulin stimulated glucose metabolism. Furthermore, the imbalance of metabolic arm and mitogenic arm of insulin signaling pathway in insulin resistance mice was normalized after DH treatment. DH treatment regulated insulin signaling pathway and improved the ability of glucose metabolism of insulin resistance mice.