Antioxidant treatment may protect pancreatic beta cells through the attenuation of islet fibrosis in an animal model of type 2 diabetes

Esder Lee, Gyeong Ryul Ryu, Seung Hyun Ko, Yu Bae Ahn, Kun Ho Yoon, Hunjoo Ha, Ki Ho Song

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

48 Scopus citations

Abstract

Islet fibrosis could be important in the progression of pancreatic beta cell failure in type 2 diabetes. It is known that oxidative stress is involved in the pancreatic fibrosis through the activation of pancreatic stellate cells. However, no study has investigated the in vivo effects of antioxidants on islet fibrogenesis in type 2 diabetes. In this study, antioxidants (taurine or tempol) were administered in drinking water to Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats, an animal model of type 2 diabetes, for 16. weeks. An intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test revealed that the blood glucose levels after the glucose injection were decreased by the antioxidants. The insulin secretion after the glucose injection, which was markedly reduced in the rats, was also restored by the antioxidants. Beta cell mass and pancreatic insulin content were greater in the rats treated with the antioxidants than in the untreated rats. Beta cell apoptosis was attenuated in the rats by the antioxidants. Finally, islet fibrosis and the activation of pancreatic stellate cells were markedly diminished in the rats by the antioxidants. Our data suggest that antioxidants may protect beta cells through the attenuation of both islet fibrosis and beta cell apoptosis in type 2 diabetes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)397-402
Number of pages6
JournalBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
Volume414
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 22 Oct 2011

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by a research grant (No: R01-2006-000-10829-0) from the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation, 2006. The authors thank Hideaki Kaneto (Osaka University, Japan) and Gordon C. Weir (Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA) for helpful discussions.

Keywords

  • Antioxidant
  • Islet fibrosis
  • Oxidative stress
  • Pancreatic stellate cell

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