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

Background: Baihu Jia Renshen Decoction (BJRD) applied to diabetes mellitus (DM). We explored the metabolic regulatory pathways and mechanisms of BJRD in Type 1 DM (T1DM). Methods: T1DM rat model was established with STZ induction and then continuously treated with insulin and different concentrations of BJRD for 2 weeks. The therapeutic effect of BJRD was evaluated by detecting the levels of fasting blood glucose and insulin in the blood and observing the ultrastructure of pancreatic tissues by transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescent staining. Metabolomics analysis on rat serum was performed. Results: Compared with the diabetes model (DC) group, the high-concentration BJRD treatment (BJRD-H) group reduced fasting blood glucose, increased insulin levels, and increased the quantity of β-cells in the pancreatic tissues in rats. And rat pancreatic islet β-cells in the DC group had lost their nuclear membranes, had abnormal mitochondrial morphology, and had significantly reduced secretory granules, whereas rat pancreatic islet β-cells in the BJRD-H group had moderately increased secretory granules, and the structure of the nucleus was apparently normal. Moreover, the metabolic profile expression pattern of rats in the BJRD-H group was closer to that of normal rats, suggesting that a high concentration of BJRD combined with insulin treatment was more effective. And differentially expressed metabolites were predominantly enriched in amino acid metabolism, including amino acids, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism. Conclusion: BJRD facilitated the therapeutic effect of insulin in T1DM rats and resulted in a significant improvement in their metabolic profiles, expanding the application of traditional Chinese medicine's alternative therapies in T1DM.