LAUSR

Abstract Introduction Prediabetes leads to the onset of type 2 diabetes. Management of prediabetes involves lifestyle intervention and the use of anti-hyperglycaemic drugs such as metformin. However, patients tend to become overly-dependent on the pharmacotherapy and neglect dietary interventions thus reducing the efficacy of the drugs. We consider a [3 + 1] oxo-free rhenium (V) compound with uracil-derived ligands as a metallo-drug for prediabetes therapeutics. The study investigated the effect of rhenium (V) compound in both the presence and absence of diet intervention on specific glucose homeostasis parameters in diet induced pre-diabetic rats. Methodology Prediabetic male Sprague Dawley rats were treated with the rhenium compound for 12 weeks in both the presence and absence of dietary modification. Following sacrifice, plasma ghrelin, HOMA-IR index and glycated haemoglobin were measured as glucose homeostasis parameters. Results Prediabetic rats treated with rhenium (V) compound showed restored glucose homeostasis via decreased caloric intake, body weights, and blood analysis of the treated groups showed reduced plasma ghrelin concentration as well as glycated haemoglobin by comparison to the untreated pre-diabetic control in both the presence and absence of diet intervention. Conclusion These results suggest this rhenium (V) compound has the potential to be useful in the treatment of prediabetes.