Objective: To explore whether the insulin resistance (IR) model could be established through feeding Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats high-sugar and high-fat diets and to further observe the preventive and treatment effects of different doses of Danqidihuang Granules in rats.
Methods: Thirty-two SD rats were divided randomly into control group A (given regular feed), model group B (food high in sugar and fat), intervention group C (food high in sugar and fat as well as regular doses of Danqidihuang Granules), and intervention group D (food high in sugar and fat as well as double doses of Danqidihuang Granules). The interventions were for 8 weeks. Motion, change in color, body weight, and food intake, as well as plasma lipids (including low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG), fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINs) levels, insulin sensitivity index (ISI), and insulin resistance index (HOMO-IR) were observed.
Results: At the end of the second week of the experiment, the appetite and activities of rats in groups B, C and D decreased significantly compared with group A. The fur of the rats in those three groups was curly. After the fourth week, the activities, food intake and color of rats in group B were worse than those in groups C and D, but there were no significant differences in weight (P > 0.05). Compared with group A, LDL-C, TC, FBG and HOMO-IR in model group B were increased significantly (P < 0.05), whereas the FINs and ISI increased obviously (P < 0.05). The levels of LDL-C and TC in group D was decreased obviously compared with those in group C, and HOMO-IR in group D was less than that in group B (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Danqidihuang Granules helped to prevent and improved the insulin resistance of rats.