SILYMARIN REDUCES HYPERINSULINEMIA, MALONDIALDEHYDE LEVELS, AND DAILYINSULIN NEED IN CIRRHOTIC DIABETIC-PATIENTS

The subjects were 60 patients (42 men), aged 45 to 70 years, with diab etes caused by alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Each patient was receiving i nsulin and demonstrated elevated endogenous insulin secretion. The pat ients were randomly assigned to receive 600 mg of silymarin daily or n o silymarin for 6 months. In the silymarin-treated patients, at 6 mont hs, mean levels of fasting blood glucose, daily blood glucose, daily g lycosuria, glycosylated hemoglobin, daily insulin need, fasting insuli nemia, blood malondialdehyde, and basal and glucagon-stimulated C pept ide were all significantly lower than in the untreated patients and lo wer than at baseline. The results indicate that silymarin can reduce l ipoperoxidation of liver cell membranes in cirrhotic diabetic patients , and decrease endogenous production of insulin and the need for exoge nous insulin, probably by restoring the plasma membrane of liver cells and increasing the sensitivity of the insulin receptors.