J Ethnopharmacol 1999;64:53-7.
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| THE EFFECT OF TINOSPORA CORDIFOLIA ON DEXAMETHASONE INDUCED DIABETES IN RATS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Department of Pharmacology, KasturbaMedicalCollege, Mangalore, Karnataka, 575 001. India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Raviraj D, Nisha M, Nayak N | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Objectives: To evaluate the effect of Tinospora cordifolia in glucocorticoid induced diabetes mellitus. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduction: Tinospora cordifolia is a popular rejuvenative herbal drug used in ayurvedic medicine. It has several pharmacological effects, some of which are antioxidant 1, immunostimulant 2, antihyperglycemic 3, lipid lowering 4, adaptogenic 5 actions. Glucocorticoids induce diabetes mellitus mainly by increasing peripheral insulin resistance. There are different factors, which lead to excess of glucocorticoids, stress being one of them 6. Obesity is the main feature of the epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 enzyme is expressed in increased quantity in the visceral fat of these patients. Transgenic mice expressing around 20% excess of this enzyme develop the typical features of metabolic syndrome, viz. Obesity, hyperinsulinemia, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, hypertension etc., This enzyme converts inactive cortisone to active cortisol 7. Diabetes induced by large dose of glucocorticoids poses a challenging situation in clinical practice 8. All these factors led us to conduct this study. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Material & Methods: Two groups of male albino rats, six in each group, weighing around 200g were injected with 12 mg/Kg of dexamethasone intraperitoneally for a period of six days. One group received 1000 mg/Kg of Tinospora extract in 2% gum acacia suspension orally & the other group (diabetic control) received 2% gum acacia suspension for 7 days, before 6 days during dexamethasone administration. Fasting blood glucose & intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test values were recorded on the sixth day. Intraperitoneal glucose test was conducted by injecting 2.5 g/kg of glucose & blood glucose level was measured 1 hour later using one touch glucometer/ strips. Drug administration was continued for 2 days. Later the animals were sacrificed by over dose of ether anesthesia. Macroscopic and microscopic study was done on the liver. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results: Tinospora extract was not effective in reducing blood glucose levels. It protected the liver from fatty change and from pyemic abscesses. Statistical analysis for significance was made using paired't' test. P values < 0.05 are considered significant. Results are expressed as means � SEM. Results are shown in charts. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Digital photographs of dexamethasone induced hepatic steatosis |
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| Discussion & Conclusion: Tinospora (Guduchi satwa) may not have significant insulin sensitising action. The prevention of pyemic abscess agrees with other studies suggesting nonspecific immunostimulant action. The prevention of fatty change in the liver may be due to its well-known antioxidant property. Tinospora is known to prevent lipid peroxidation, one of the causes of atherosclerosis aging. Hepatic steatosis is a feature of insulin resistance. The underlying mechanism of hepatic steatosis atherosclerosis, fatty changes in muscle etc., might involve glucocorticoids. Thus tinospora may prevent fatty changes in blood vessels, liver, and muscle & advanced glycation products, the cause of microvascular complications like neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy probably by its antioxidant effect. Therefore, tinospora cordifolia seems to be a promising adjuvant in preventing macrovascular & macrovascular effect in metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is occurring in epidemic proportion due to faulty diet & sedentary life style in addition to probable genetic factors. Early diagnosis & prompt preventive treatment with safe herbals having insulin sensitising & antioxidant properties seems the best available option than the chemical molecules like metformin, rosiglitazone, ramipril etc., which have inherent adverse effects in the long run. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| References: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1. Prince PS, Menon VP. Antioxidant activity of Tinospora Cordifolia roots in experimental diabetes. J Ethnopharmacol. 1999;65:277-81. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. Thatte UM, Chhabria S, Karandikar SM, Dahanukar SA. Immunotherapeutic modification of E.coli induced abdominal sepsis and mortality in mice by Indian medicinal plants. Indian Drugs 1987;25:95-7. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. Grover JK, Vats V, Rathi SS. Anti-hyperglycemic effect of Eugenia jambolana and Tinospora cordifolia in experimental diabetes and their effects on key metabolic enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. J Ethnopharmacol, 2000, 73; 461-70 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4. Stanely M, Prince P, Menon VP, Gunasekaran G. Hypolipidaemic action of Tinospora cordifolia roots in alloxan diabetic rats. J Ethnopharmacol 1999;64:53-7. |
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| 5. Rege NN, Thatte UM, Dahanukar SA. Adaptogenic properties of six rasayana herbs used in Ayurvedic medicine. Phytother Res 1999;13:275-91. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6. J.I Bell, T.D.R Hockaday. Diabetes Mellitus In: D.J Weatherall, J.G.G Ledingam, D.A Warell, et al, editors. Oxford Textbook of Medicine 3rd ed.� New York: Oxford Medical Publication; 1996. 1448-504. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7. Masuzaki H, Paterson J, Shinyama H, Morton NM, Mullins JJ, Seckl JR, Flier JS. A transgenic model of visceral obesity and the metabolic syndrome. �: Science.2001; 294(5549): 2166-70. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8. Braithwaite SS, Barr WG, Rahman A, Quddusi S. Managing diabetes during glucocorticoid therapy. Postgrad Med. 1998; 104:163-166, 171, 175-176. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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