OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of modified Qianjin Huanglian Pill (QJHL), a Chinese herbal compound, on pancreas in mice with monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) induced insulin resistance (IR) and its molecular mechanism.

METHODSControlled by rosiglitazone (Ros), the MSG indiced IR mice were treated with QJHL for 28 days. The laboratory indices were examined including fasting serum glucose (FSG), fasting serum insulin (FSI), insulin sensitivity index (ISI), and morphological changes of pancreas, and levels of insulin receptor (InsR), insulin receptor substrate (IRS1/2) and glucose transporter (GLUT2) mRNA expression in pancreas tissue were determined by the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSAs compared with the model group, the level of FSG was lower (P < 0.01) and ISI was higher (P < 0.05) after treatment in the QJHL treated group, with pancreatic islet hyperplasia and hypertrophy ameliorated significantly (P < 0.01). And these changes were similar to those in the Ros treated group (P > 0.05). Moreover, the level of GLUT2 mRNA expression in pancreas of the QJHL group increased significantly (P < 0.01), while it was unchanged in the Ros group.

CONCLUSIONQJHL could reduce IR, ameliorate pathological changes of pancreas, which is possibly related with its action on increasing GLUT2 mRNA expression in the pancreas tissue.