Effect of Agmatine on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Induced by Type 2 Diabetes in Rats
Samar F. Miski
*
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia.
Mai A. Alim A. Sattar Ahmad
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed Esmat
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aim: To determine the potential hepatoprotective effect of Agmatine (AGM) on NAFLD-induced by Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in rats.
Study design: Forty male Wistar rats weighing from (200 -250 g) were distributed at random into five groups (8 rats per group): group 1 as control; group 2 as untreated-T2DM; groups 3 & 4 as T2DM cotreated with AGM (40 & 80 mg/kg/d), while group 5 T2DM cotreated with Silymarin (100 mg/kg/d).
Place and duration of study: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, king Abdul-Aziz University; between October 2020 and January 2021.
Methodology: A rat model of T2DM with NAFLD complication was established by feeding rats with 10% fructose in drinking water and intraperitoneally injecting them with a single low dose of streptozotocin (STZ) (45mg/kg). The fasting blood glucose was detected, serum levels of hepatic biomarkers were all assessed. Moreover, histopathological examination was performed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining.
Results: STZ induced T2DM in rats causes a significant (p<0.05, n=8) rise in serum levels of FBG, ALT, AST, TB, TC, TG, and LDL in comparison with the corresponding control group. Co-treatment with AGM (40 & 80 mg/kg) and silymarin significantly alleviated hyperglycemia and amended hepatic biomarkers that was reflected on improved histopathological changes.
Conclusion: The current data suggest that oral AGM co-treatment could have a hepatoprotective effect against T2DM associated with NAFLD in rats. Further investigations are recommended to elucidate molecular mechanisms accountable for the useful effects of AGM on hepatocytes.
Keywords: NAFLD and T2DM disease, AGM, FBG, STZ, hepatocytes