Context: Antidiabetic activity of Coptis chinensis Franch (Ranunculaceae) polysaccharide (CCPW) has been reported. However, its molecular mechanism remains unclear.
Objective: An attempt was made to further verify the antidiabetic activity of CCPW on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and elucidate the mechanism of antidiabetic activity.
Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats were fed with high-fat diet (HFD) and injected with streptozotocin (STZ) to generate a T2DM model. Effects of CCPW on fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidases (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutases (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), c-jun n-terminal kinase (JNK), phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate 1 (phospho-IRS1), phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (phospho-PI3Kp85) and glucose transporter 4 (Glut4) were investigated.
Results: FBG level of diabetic rats could be significantly inhibited by 51.2, 42.7, and 23.3% through administration of CCPW at doses of 200, 100, and 50 mg/kg b.w., respectively (p < 0.01). CCPW also could significantly reduce TG by 19.2, 12.1, and 7.4%, and TC by 24.2, 20.9, and 18.7%, respectively (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). CCPW showed an obvious antioxidant effect through increasing GSH-Px, SOD, and CAT activities, and decreasing GSH and MDA contents (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Furthermore, CCPW could inhibit JNK and phospho-IRS1 expression and promote the expression of phospho-PI3Kp85 and Glut4 compared with those in the DM group (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01).
Discussion and conclusion: CCPW can produce antidiabetic activity in rats with T2DM through its antioxidative effect, which is closely related to the JNK/IRS1/PI3K pathway.
Keywords: Hyperglycemic; hypolipidemic; oxidative stress; type 2 diabetes.