PROTECTION BY EPICOPROSTANOL AGAINST HYPERGLYCEMIA AND INSULITIS IN NORMAL AND DIABETIC RATS

Epicoprostanol (3-alpha-hydroxy-5 beta-cholestanol) has been studied f or its effects on blood glucose and plasma insulin levels in rodents. Epicoprostanol significantly induced hypoglycemia and increased insuli n levels in rat blood plasma by 88% and 66% compared to that of contro l after 2 h and 4 h of acute treatment at 100 mg/kg dose. It also high ly significantly lowered blood glucose levels in a dose dependent mann er at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg doses when administered to alloxan-rendere d moderately diabetic rats after 120 and 240 min of treatment. Similar ly, epicoprostanol, with the same dosage regimen, caused hypoglycemia in streptozotocin-induced severe diabetic rats, to a similar extent at the same time-points. However, the lowest dose (10 mg/kg) failed to p roduce a striking effect in either of the diabetic groups. In normogly cemic rats, plasma insulin levels were affected significantly after a single dose (100 mg/kg) of epicoprostanol. In contrast, diabetic anima ls suffering from insulitis showed a significant decline in hyperglyce mia, strongly suggesting an insulin-like action of epicoprostanol. It seems likely that epicoprostanol acts through a mechanism other than h yperinsulinemia.