Positive Health Online

Abstract

XU and COLLEAGUES,  (1)Department of Pharmacology, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an 710021, China studied the combined effects of insulin and selenium in signal transduction in diabetic rat skeletal muscles.

Background

To investigate the combined effects of insulin and selenium in improving the physiological parameters and insulin signal transduction in the skeletal muscles of diabetic rats.

Methodology

35 male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal, diabetes, diabetes with insulin treatment (D-In group), diabetes with sodium selenite treatment (D-In-S group), and diabetes with insulin and sodium combination treatment (D-In-Se group), 7 rats in each group. The levels of blood glucose were measured using One Touch Sure Step Blood Glucose Meter. HbA1C levels were measured using microcolumn assay. The levels of insulin receptor substrate 1(IRS-1), phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and glucose transporter 4(GLUT4) in skeletal muscle were examined by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.

Results

Insulin combined with selenium could significantly lower blood glucose levels and markedly restore the diminished expression of in IRS-1, PI3K and GLUT4 levels in skeletal muscles of diabetic rats.

Conclusion

There was positive cooperativity between insulin and selenium in reducing blood glucose levels in diabetic rats. The combined treatment of insulin and selenium may decrease blood glucose by upregulating IRS-1, PI3K and GLUT4 levels in skeletal muscles of diabetic rats.

References

Xu T(1), Liu Y, Meng J, Zeng J, Xu X, Mi M. [The combined effects of insulin and selenium in improving insulin signal transduction in skeletal muscles of diabetic rats].  [Article in Chinese] Xi Bao Yu Fen Zi Mian Yi Xue Za Zhi. 29(12):1245-50. Dec 2013.