- 1Department of Pharmacology and Drug Toxicology, National University of Pharmacy, Pushkinskaya Str. 53, Kharkiv, 61002, Ukraine. olga_234@mail.ru.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome are the common problems of the modern society. The interest in herbal
medicines increases, and often they are used in combination with
conventional drugs. Aegopodium podagraria L. (goutweed) is a plant
widely used in traditional medicine. Hypoglycemic effect of goutweed
aerial part tincture has been previously shown in alloxan-induced
diabetic mice and in rats receiving excess of fructose and
hydrochlorothiazide. The effects of co-administration of the tincture
with widely used antihyperglycemic drugs have not been verified. The
objective of this study is to determine the efficacy of goutweed
tincture and its combination with metformin using the model reproducing
the pathogenetic mechanisms of the metabolic syndrome and type 2
diabetes.
METHODS:
The
animals were divided into 5 groups, as follows: intact control,
dexamethasone (untreated), dexamethasone + metformin, 50 mg/kg;
dexamethasone + A. podagraria tincture, 1 ml/kg intragastrically;
dexamethasone + metformin, 50 mg/kg intragastrically + A. podagraria
tincture, 1 ml/kg intragastrically. Dexamethasone was used at a dose of
5 mg/kg subcutaneously for 5 days. Insulin tolerance test and oral
glucose tolerance test were performed, triglycerides, total lipids,
total and HDL cholesterol content in plasma were determined, LDL
cholesterol content was calculated, glycogen content in the liver was
measured.
RESULTS:
Goutweed
tincture combined with metformin increased its effect on the basal
glycemia and on the results of the short insulin test. In the oral
glucose tolerance test the lowest area under glucose curve and average
glycemia value were seen in animals receiving this combination. Only
metformin tended toward the reduction of liver glycogen. The decrease in
triglycerides and increment of HDL cholesterol content (caused by the
tincture), as well as tendency towards the decrease in total lipids
level (caused by metformin) were observed against a background of the
investigated combination, though the ability of GW tincture to reduce
LDL cholesterol content and the same tendency seen against a background
of metformin were eliminated when these preparations were administered
together.
CONCLUSION:
It
has been shown that goutweed tincture combined with the respectively
low dose of metformin partially increases the efficacy of the latter in
dexamethasone-treated rats. Goutweed tincture combined with the
respectively low dose of metformin partially increases the efficacy of
the latter in dexamethasone-treated rats.
KEYWORDS:
Aegopodium podagraria L; Combined drugs; Dexamethasone; Goutweed; Metformin; Rats