Beneficial effects of ferulic acid alone and in combination with insulin in streptozotocin induced diabetic neuropathy in Sprague Dawley rats.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Ferulic acid (FA) is a phenolic phytochemical known to protect against various diabetic complications. However, its role in diabetic neuropathy is still unclear. The present study investigated the potential protective effects of FA alone and its combination with insulin against streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic neuropathy in rats.

METHODS:

STZ (55 mg/kg) was injected in adult Sprague-Dawley rats to induce diabetes. Diabetic rats were treated with FA (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, p.o), insulin (10 IU/kg, s.c.) and the combination of FA (100 mg/kg, p.o.) with insulin (10 IU/kg, s.c.) for four weeks. Body weight, blood glucose, insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin, nerve conduction velocity and pain parameters were measured. Moreover, oxidative stress, inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-2) and apoptotic markers (Bcl-2, Bax, caspase 3) were assessed in the sciatic nerve tissue. Na+-K+-ATPase activity and nerve growth factor (NGF) levels were also determined.

RESULTS:

FA attenuated STZ induced alteration in metabolic parameters, nociceptive threshold, motor nerve conduction velocity, NGF levels and Na+-K+-ATPase activity. In addition, FA boosted anti-oxidant defenses and suppressed oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory mediators and apoptotic markers. Furthermore, diabetic rats treated with insulin-FA (100 mg/kg) combination demonstrated more pronounced beneficial effects as compared to either agent alone.

CONCLUSIONS:

Collectively, our results suggest that FA either alone or in combination with insulin therapy could serve as an efficacious agent for treating diabetic neuropathy.

• Authors: Jatinder Dhaliwal, Navneet Dhaliwal, Ansab Akhtar, Anurag Kuhad, Kanwaljit Chopra
• Journal: Life sciences (Life Sci) Vol. 255 Pg. 117856 (Aug 15 2020) ISSN: 1879-0631 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 32473246 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antioxidants
• Blood Glucose
• Coumaric Acids
• Hypoglycemic Agents
• Insulin
• Streptozocin
• ferulic acid

Topics

• Animals
• Antioxidants (metabolism)
• Blood Glucose (drug effects)
• Coumaric Acids (administration & dosage, pharmacology)
• Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental (drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Diabetic Neuropathies (drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Hypoglycemic Agents (administration & dosage, pharmacology)
• Insulin (administration & dosage, pharmacology)
• Male
• Oxidative Stress (drug effects)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Streptozocin