An experimental study to evaluate preventive role of Aspirin and Gymnema sylvestre (Meshashringi) in type 2 diabetes mellitus in rats

Abstract

Background:Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) results from relative insulin deficiency, which may either be due to decreased insulin secretion, or increased insulin resistance. Obesity, and the resulting oxidative stress, is intricately involved in pathogenesis of insulin resistance. A chronic subclinical inflammation has also been sought to be involved in development of T2DM.Objective(s):This study was aimed at finding out the preventive role of aspirin, a well-known drug for its anti-inflammatory effects, and Gymnema sylvestre (GS), a herb having antioxidant properties, in T2DM. Material & Methods: Adult female Wistar rats were procured & randomly divided into nine groups with six rats in each group. Group I animals were kept on standard chow diet for 21 days and, were administered citrate buffer injection on Day 15.Remaining animals were kept on high fat diet (HFD) for two weeks and, on day 15, were given (after overnight fasting) a single intra-peritoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) and HFD was continued for a further week. These rats were treated with the test drugs (aspirin, GS; alone and in combinations) and the standard drug (metformin), from day 1 through day 21.Results and Conclusions: Both Aspirin and GS prevented rise in RBS levels, but did not show any significant effect on prevention of weight gain in T2DM rat models. Aspirin exerted either no effect or a negative effect on the anti-oxidant status, while GS exerted a protective effect. These findings are suggestive of their potential role in prevention of T2DM in humans.