The Underlying Mechanisms of Curcumin Inhibition of Hyperglycemia and Hyperlipidemia in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet Combined With STZ Treatment

Abstract

Curcumin is the main secondary metabolite of Curcuma longa and other Curcuma spp, and has been reported to have some potential in preventing and treating some physiological disorders. This study investigated the effect of curcumin in inhibiting high-fat diet and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in rats. Twenty-six male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (170–190 g) were randomly divided into a standard food pellet diet group (Control group), a high-fat diet and streptozotocin group (HF + STZ group), and a high-fat diet combined with curcumin and STZ group (HF + Cur + STZ group). Compared with the HF + STZ group, the HF + Cur + STZ group exhibited significantly reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (AST), and aspartate transaminase (ALT) levels, as well as liver coefficients. In the livers of these rats, the expression of malondialdehyde (MDA) and Bax was downregulated, whereas that of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Bcl-2 was upregulated. Moreover, the liver histology of these rats was improved and resembled that of the control rats. These results suggest that curcumin prevents high-fat diet and STZ-induced hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, mainly via anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic mechanisms in the liver.

Cinnamon Reduces Dyslipidemia and Liver Steatosis Induced by High Fat Diet in Albino Rats: Histological, Ultrastructural, and Biochemical Studies

“…The present study recorded a significant elevation in the weight of the HFD-fed animals comparing with the control group that may be due to the deposition of fats in various body fat pads. This finding is consistent with the results obtained by Xia et al [16] in the HFD-fed diabetic rat. Additionally, Fidèle et al [17] found that the cholesterol accumulation caused an increase in the rate of steroid hormone production such as cortisol, estrogens, and testosterone leading to an increase in the body weight of HFD-fed rats.…”

Bilobalide Enhances AMPK Activity to Improve Liver Injury and Metabolic Disorders in STZ-Induced Diabetes in Immature Rats via Regulating HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway

“…On the other hand, the liver is generally known to be the central regulator of lipid homoeostasis. Many studies have shown that elevated levels of plasma free fatty acids in DM patients stimulate the liver to synthesize and secret large amounts of TG and LDL [28][29][30]. In our present study, we found that the levels of TC, TG, LDL, and HDL were abnormal in STZ-induced diabetic rats.…”

“…Insulin deficiency causes metabolic disorders and the accumulation of harmful substances in the liver leading to severe oxidative stress [27]. STZ treatment to rats leads to liver biochemical disorders, which is manifested by the abnormal expression of active substances, such as ALT and AST [28]. The results of this study clearly showed the high level of ALT and AST serums in STZ-induced immature diabetic rats.…”

Gut Flora-Mediated Metabolic Health, the Risk Produced by Dietary Exposure to Acetamiprid and Tebuconazole

“…The treated groups maintained a higher plasma glucose than the CK group at the end of 120 min. This finding suggested that the plasma glucose in the treated mice spent more time restoring to normal, indicating that pesticide exposure lowered the capacity of the body to regulate glucose [ 11 ].…”