الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which accounts for about 90–95% of those with diabetes is mainly characterized by insulin resistance (IR). Management of T2DM cannot depend only on medications, but lifestyle modifications should be considered. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to have anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering effects, suggesting that they may be beneficial in T2DM management. Pioglitazone, a drug belongs to thiazolidinedione group of insulin sensitizers, which act by activating peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPAR- γ). The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-diabetic activity of omega-3 fatty acids, pioglitazone and their combination, and to understand their mechanism through measuring the gene expression and protein concentration of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in a rat model of T2DM. It was found that combining PPAR-α agonist, as omega-3 fatty acids (natural product), with PPAR-γ agonists, as pioglitazone (commercially available drug), showed potential effects in lowering blood glucose concentrations and improving lipid profile and IR. Such effects are mediated through modulation of TLR-4 and FGF21 as well as inhibition of lipid peroxidation. |