Hypoglycemic effects of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides in type 2 diabetic mice.

Our aims were to investigate the hypoglycemic effects and mechanisms of action of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLPs) administered for 7 days in type 2 diabetic mice. The mice were randomly divided into four groups (8 mice/group): normal control group, diabetic control group, low-dose GLP-treated diabetic group (50 mg/kg/d), and high-dose GLP-treated diabetic group (100 mg/kg/d). Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin injection and high-fat dietary feeding. At the end of the study, fasting serum glucose, insulin, body weight (BW) and epididymal white adipose tissue weight were measured. The hepatic mRNA levels of glycogen phosphorylase (GP), fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) genes were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Both doses of GLPs significantly decreased fasting serum glucose, insulin and epididymal fat/BW ratio compared with the diabetic control group (p < 0.05). The hepatic mRNA levels of GP, FBPase, PEPCK and G6Pase were significantly lower in both GLP-treated groups compared with the diabetic control group. Taken together, GLPs significantly decrease fasting serum glucose levels in type 2 diabetic mice in a dose-dependent manner. The decreases in fasting serum glucose levels may be associated with decreased mRNA expression levels of several key enzymes involved in gluconeogenesis and/or glycogenolysis.