Silk fibroin hydrolysate exerts an anti-diabetic effect by increasing pancreatic beta cell mass in C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice.
10.4142/jvs.2012.13.4.339
- Author:
Sun Gil DO
1
;
Jun Hong PARK
;
Hajin NAM
;
Jin Bong KIM
;
Jae Yong LEE
;
Yang Seok OH
;
Jun Gyo SUH
Author Information
1. Department of Medical Genetics, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 200-702, Korea. jgsuh@hallym.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
beta cell mass;
db/db mouse;
diabetes;
HbA1c;
silk fibroin
- MeSH:
Animals;
Diabetes Mellitus;
Drinking Water;
Fibroins;
Glucose;
Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated;
Hyperglycemia;
Insulin;
Insulin-Secreting Cells;
Medicine, East Asian Traditional;
Mice;
Models, Animal;
Plasma;
Silk
- From:Journal of Veterinary Science
2012;13(4):339-344
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Components of silk including silk fibroin have long been used as anti-diabetic remedies in oriental medicine. However, detailed mechanisms underlying these anti-diabetic effects remain unclear. In this study, we examined the anti-diabetic activity of silk fibroin hydrolysate (SFH) in C57BL/KsJ-db/db (db/db) mice, a well-known animal model of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. When the db/db mice were administered SFH in drinking water for 6 weeks, hyperglycemia in the animals gradually disappeared and the level of glycosylated hemoglobin decreased, indicating that SFH plays important role in reducing the symptoms of diabetes. In addition, SFH-treated db/db mice exhibited improved glucose tolerance with increased plasma insulin levels. Immunohistochemical and morphological analyses showed that SFH up-regulated insulin production by increasing pancreatic beta cell mass in the mice. In summary, our results suggest that SFH exerts anti-diabetic effects by increasing pancreatic beta cell mass in a non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus mouse model.
