Effect of felodipine on serum lipid profile in short term streptozotocin-diabetes in rats.

Lipid lowering effect of calcium antagonists is well documented in high fat fed rats and in hypertensive patients. In order to study their effect on lipid profile in experimental diabetes, felodipine 5 mg/kg/day per oral for 4 week was given to rats with streptozotocin-diabetes of 8 week duration. Serum total cholesterol and triglycerides were estimated in non-fasting rats at the end of the study period using Ranbaxy diagnostic kits. Diabetic rats had a significant elevation of both total cholesterol and triglycerides. In diabetic rats felodipine treatment produced a significant reduction of the serum triglycerides while there was no change in the serum total cholesterol. In control rats the drug did not produce any significant alteration in the levels of both total cholesterol and triglycerides.