OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of chalcones extracted from Angelica Keiskei (AC) on the mRNA expression of phosphatidy I inositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and serine-threonine kinases (Akt) in hepatocytes of rats with diabetes. METHODS: The diabetes of rats was induced by streptozotocin with intraperitoeal injection as well as with high-fat diet feeding. The rats were randomly divided into 3 groups with 10 rats in each group,diabetic control group, high-dose AC group and low-dose AC group. All the rats were fed with high-fat diet. 0, 30 and 10 mg/kg BW AC per day were given to high-dose AC, low-dose AC and the diabetic control groups,respectively. Another 10 normal rats fed with regular diet were used as the normal control group. After 4 weeks, serum insulin levels were evaluated by radioimmunoassay. The mRNA expression levels of PI3K and Akt were determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The phosphorylation levels of Akt in hepatocytes were detected by western blot. Blood glucose levels were measured by glucose oxidase method. RESULTS: Compared with rats in the diabetic control gruop, the levels of blood glucose and serum insulin in rats of high-dose AC gruop were decreased and the PI3K and AKT mRNA expression levels were increased. All the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: AC may upregulate the mRNA expression levels of PI3K and Akt and improve insulin resistance of rats with diabetes.
OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of chalcones extracted from Angelica Keiskei (AC) on the mRNA expression of phosphatidy I inositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and serine-threonine kinases (Akt) in hepatocytes of rats with diabetes. METHODS: The diabetes of rats was induced by streptozotocin with intraperitoeal injection as well as with high-fat diet feeding. The rats were randomly divided into 3 groups with 10 rats in each group,diabetic control group, high-dose AC group and low-dose AC group. All the rats were fed with high-fat diet. 0, 30 and 10 mg/kg BW AC per day were given to high-dose AC, low-dose AC and the diabetic control groups,respectively. Another 10 normal rats fed with regular diet were used as the normal control group. After 4 weeks, serum insulin levels were evaluated by radioimmunoassay. The mRNA expression levels of PI3K and Akt were determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The phosphorylation levels of Akt in hepatocytes were detected by western blot. Blood glucose levels were measured by glucose oxidase method. RESULTS: Compared with rats in the diabetic control gruop, the levels of blood glucose and serum insulin in rats of high-dose AC gruop were decreased and the PI3K and AKT mRNA expression levels were increased. All the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: AC may upregulate the mRNA expression levels of PI3K and Akt and improve insulin resistance of rats with diabetes.