J. Luo et al., MASOPROCOL (NORDIHYDROGUAIARETIC ACID) - A NEW ANTIHYPERGLYCEMIC AGENT ISOLATED FROM THE CREOSOTE BUSH (LARREA TRIDENTATA), European journal of pharmacology, 346(1), 1998, pp. 77-79
An ethnomedically-driven approach was used to evaluate the ability of
a pure compound isolated from the creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) to
lower plasma glucose concentration in two mouse models of type 2 diab
etes. The results indicated that plasma glucose concentration fell app
roximately 8 mmol/l in male C57BL/ks-db/db or C57BL/6J-ob/ob mice foll
owing the oral administration of masoprocol (nordihydroguaiaretic acid
), a well known lipoxygenase inhibitor. The decline in plasma glucose
concentration following masoprocol treatment in the mice was achieved
without any change in plasma insulin concentration. In addition, oral
glucose tolerance improved and the ability of insulin to lower plasma
glucose concentrations was accentuated in masoprocol-treated db/db mic
e. These data raise the possibility that masoprocol, or other lipoxyge
nase inhibitors, represents a new approach to the pharmacological trea
tment of Type 2 diabetes. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.