Effect of the Total Extract of Averrhoacarambola (Oxalidaceae) Root on the Expression Levels of TLR4 and NF-κB in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice.

BACKGROUND: Averrhoacarambola L., which is a folk medicine used in diabetes mellitus (DM) in ancient China, has been reported to have anti-diabetic efficacy.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the hypoglycemic effect of the extract of Averrhoacarambola L. root (EACR) on the regulation of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-Nuclear-factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway in B) pathway in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice.

METHODS: the mice were injected with STZ (120 mg/kg body weight) via a tail vein. After 72 h, the mice with FBG ≥ 11.1 mmol/L were confirmed as having diabetes. Subsequently, the mice were treated intragastrically with EACR (300, 600, 1200 mg/kg body weight/d) and metformin (320 mg/kg body weight/d) for 14 days.

RESULTS: As a result the serum fasting blood glucose (FBG), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were decreased following EACR administration. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the pancreatic tissue expression levels of TLR4 and NF-κB were downregulated after EACR administration. EACR suppressed pancreatic mRNA expression level of TLR4 and blocked the downstream NF-κB pathway in the pancreas. According to Western blot analysis EACR suppressed pancreatic TLR4 and NF-κB protein expression levels. Histopathological examination of the pancreas showed that STZ-induced pancreas lesions were alleviated by the EACR treatment.

CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the modulation of the IL-6 and TNF-α inflammatory cytokines and the suppression of the TLR4-NF-κB pathway are most likely involved in the anti-hyperglycemic effect of EACR in STZ-induced diabetic mice.