Baihu Jia Renshen Decoction Improves Type 1 Diabetic Rats by Modulating Metabolic Profile

Area of Science:

• Integrative Medicine
• Metabolomics
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Diabetes Mellitus (DM) management remains a global health challenge.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), like Baihu Jia Renshen Decoction (BJRD), offers potential therapeutic avenues.
• Understanding BJRD's mechanisms in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is crucial for its clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the metabolic regulatory pathways and mechanisms of BJRD in a T1DM rat model.
• To evaluate the synergistic effects of BJRD combined with insulin therapy.
• To assess BJRD's impact on pancreatic islet beta-cell structure and function.

Main Methods:

• Established a T1DM rat model using streptozotocin (STZ) induction.
• Treated rats with insulin and varying concentrations of BJRD for two weeks.
• Assessed therapeutic effects via blood glucose, insulin levels, pancreatic tissue ultrastructure (TEM, immunofluorescence), and serum metabolomics.

Main Results:

• High-concentration BJRD (BJRD-H) with insulin reduced fasting blood glucose and increased insulin levels.
• BJRD-H treatment improved pancreatic beta-cell morphology, nuclear structure, and secretory granules compared to the diabetic control group.
• Metabolomic analysis revealed BJRD-H normalized metabolic profiles, primarily enriching amino acid metabolism pathways (glycine, serine, threonine).

Conclusions:

• BJRD significantly enhances insulin's therapeutic effect in T1DM rats.
• BJRD treatment leads to substantial improvements in metabolic profiles and pancreatic beta-cell health.
• BJRD represents a promising complementary therapy for T1DM, expanding TCM's role in diabetes management.