EFFECTS OF SEISHIN-RENSHI-IN AND GYMNEMA-SYLVESTRE ON INSULIN-RESISTANCE IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Although there is no concept of insulin resistance in traditional Kamp o (Chinese) medicine and Indian medicine, we had the hypothesis that s ome drug in a mixture of crude drugs which was believed to ameliorate diabetes mellitus may have had the effect of improving insulin resista nce. To test this hypothesis, the effects of Seishin-renshi-in (Chines e medicine) and Gymnema sylvestre (Indian medicine) on the insulin res istance of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats was studied by the glu cose clamp technique. Oral administration of Seishin-renshi-in (800 mg /kg/day) with injections of a minimum dose of Ultralente insulin decre ased urine volume and urinary glucose excretion during a 7-day treatme nt period and improved the insulin stimulated glucose uptake in periph eral tissues, as well as improving the insulin suppressed hepatic gluc ose output during glucose clamp. However, G. sylvestre (120 mg/kg/day) treatment did not improve insulin resistance. We conclude that Seishi n-renshi-in, with a small dose of insulin, improved insulin resistance in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, but Gymnema sylvestre did no t.