OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Jiangzhuo Mixture (JZM) on glucose and lipid metabolism, free fatty acid (FFA) and insulin sensitivity index of sodium glutamate (MSG) induced obese rats.

METHODSSixty-four male MSG rats, 8-10 weeks old, were randomly divided into 4 groups equally, the low dose and high dose JZM group were treated respectively with 10 mL/(kg d) and 20 mL/(kg d) JZM, the rosiglitazone (RGZ) group with water solution of RGE 20 mg/(kg d), while the model group fed only with distilled water 10 mL/(kg d) for control, all by gastrogavage for 7 successive weeks. Levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (TC), and serum fasting insulin (Ins) were measured before and after treatment. Besides, the level of FFA and the proportion of fat weight to body weight (F/B) were measured and insulin sensitivity index (ISI) was calculated after treatment.

RESULTSAfter being treated for 7 weeks, the indexes including TC, FBG, Ins, F/B and FFA were all lower than those in the model group. Compared with before treatment, TC level lowered, FBG and Ins level raised in the two JZM groups and the RGZ group. Comparisons between the three treated group showed a significant lower level of Ins in the RGZ group. Level of ISI was significantly lowered in the 3 groups after treatment (P <0.05), but still higher in the RGZ group than that in the model control group (P <0.05). As for level of FFA, it was 314.81 +/- 110.25 micromol/L in the high dose JZM group and 305.56 +/- 92.33 micromol/L in the RGZ group, which were lower than that in the low dose JZM group (375.00 +/- 219.95 micromol/L, P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONSJZM could decrease the serum levels of TC, FBG, Ins and FFA in MSG rats, and decrease the fat content of organism in rats' growth process. The FFA decreasing action is dose-dependent. But its effect on ISI in MSG rats in the growth stage is insignificant. JZM can not reverse the forming processes of hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance in MSG rats.