EFFECTS OF BRAZILIN ON GLUCOSE-OXIDATION, LIPOGENESIS AND THEREIN INVOLVED ENZYMES IN ADIPOSE TISSUES FROM DIABETIC KK-MICE

In order to address the hypoglycemic mechanism ot brazilin, effects on glucose metabolism in epididymal adipose tissue from diabetic KK-mice were investigated. Brazilin remarkably lowered non fasting plasma glu cose level without any changes in plasma insulin level. Brazilin signi ficantly increased the rate of glucose oxidation and lipogenesis only in the presence ot insulin. Activities ot glucose-6 phosphate dehydrog enase and fatty acid synthetase, involved in glucose oxidation and lip ogenesis respectively, were significantly increased. These results sug gest that brazilin might exert hypoglycemic action in insulin resistan ce state by, at least in part, regulating the enzymatic reaction proce ss involved in glucose metabolism.