A study of the metabolic and biochemical effects of chromium in insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetic rat models

الملخص EN

Although several studies have elucidated the essential role of trivalent chromium in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, the significance of its effects in diabetic patients is still debated.

However, the public use of chromium supplements for diabetes has surpassed the scientific substantiation; a fact that urged for carrying out this study to assess various effects of chromium supplementation on glycemic control and lipid profile in type 1 and type 2 diabetic rat models.

The study also aimed at exploring chromium effects on the common pathogen etic mechanisms lying behind diabetic complications, such as the oxidative stress, inflammatory progress and aldose reeducates (AR) pathway activity.

The present study was carried out on 90 male albino rats.

Rats injected with streptozotocin (STZ) in a single dose of 60 mg / kg body weight intravenously served as type 1 diabetic model, while type 2 diabetic model was obtained by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ in a dose of 70 mg / kg body weight in five-day-old neonatal rats which developed type 2 diabetic state 12 weeks thereafter.

Oral chromium supplementation in a dose of 800 µg /kg body weight daily for 2 months significantly decreased fasting plasma glucose, gyrated hemoglobin and plasma insulin levels in type 2 diabetic rats, while it produced only a mild reduction in gyrated hemoglobin level with insignificant changes in fasting plasma glucose or insulin level in type 1 diabetic rat model.

Two-month chromium supplementation in both types of diabetic rats significantly improved the plasma lipid profile and decreased the plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a RBCs sorbitol, fructose level and AR enzyme activity as compared to the corresponding non-treated type 1 and type 2 diabetic rat models. Conclusion : Beneficial effects of chromium supplementation on glycemic control were more evident in type 2 diabetes, while antidyslipidemic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects together with reduction of the AR pathway activity were observed in both types of diabetic rat models.

The present study, thus, suggests that chromium supplementation may be protective against long-term diabetic complications in both type1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus.