OBJECTIVETo study effects of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HJD) on lipid metabolism, leptin and resistin in insulin resistive rats.

METHODSType 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) rat model was induced by intravenous injection with a low dose of streptozotocin and high fat and high caloric diet, and randomized into four groups: the model control group, the HJD group, the berberine group and the aspirin group. Meanwhile 16 normal rats were assigned as the normal control group. The body weight was observed before and after treatment, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), apolipoprotein A1 and B (apoA1, apoB), free fatty acid (FFA), insulin (INS) in serum, skeletal muscle triglyceride (mTG) in skeletal muscle, and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were detected after 10 weeks of treatment, at the same time, serum levels of leptin and resistin were determined using ELLISA.

RESULTSThe levels of TC, TG, apoB, FBG, FFA, mTG, leptin and resistin were obviously lowered, the levels of HDL-C and apoA1 significantly raised, glucose tolerance improved and body weight reduced in insulin resistive rats, as compared with the model control (P<0.05, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe effects of HJD in lowering lipids, as well as reducing leptin and resistin might be closely correlated with its effects in ameliorating insulin resistance.