LAUSR

The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been increased and has become a serious threat to human health. Zengye Decoction (ZYD), a traditional Chinese medicinal formula, has been used in the treatment of T2DM with yin asthenia and extreme heat. But the characteristics of antidiabetic activities of ZYD is not clear. In our study, high-fat diet and streptozotocin were employed to establish the T2DM rat model. After three weeks of treatment with ZYD, the fasting blood glucose, oral glucose tolerance, the fasting serum insulin concentration, insulin sensitivity index, serum lipid profiles and pancreas histopathological were measured. Then, under circumstance of insulin-resistant, glucose consumption, 2-NBDG uptake and glycogen content in C2C12 myotubes, 3T3-L1 adipocytes and HepG2 cells were determined, respectively. Finally, the expressions of key targets in the insulin signaling pathway were measured to explain the potential mechanism underlying these activities. After administration with ZYD, a notable reduction in FBG levels, OGTT-area under the curve, blood lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity index values were observed compared with the model group. Moreover, ZYD restored the damaged islet cells in T2DM rats. Significant increases in glucose consumption, glucose uptake, glycogen content, expression of GLUT4 and the ratio of p-Akt/Akt were observed in the ZYD groups. According to the above results, ZYD exhibited glucose disposal including glucose consumption, glucose uptake, glycogen content and promote the Akt signal pathway, which indicating that ZYD exerted significant hypoglycemic effect in T2DM.