Ayuob N, Al-Shathly MR, Bakhshwin A, Al-Abbas NS, Shaer NA, Al Jaouni S, Hamed WHE. p53 Rather Than β-Catenin Mediated the Combined Hypoglycemic Effect of
Cinnamomum cassia (
L.) and
Zingiber officinale Roscoe in the Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Model.
Front Pharmacol 2021;
12:664248. [PMID:
34054538 PMCID:
PMC8155675 DOI:
10.3389/fphar.2021.664248]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and insulin-enhancing effects of ginger and cinnamon were previously confirmed in experimental and human studies, while the combined effect of ginger and cinnamon was not thoroughly investigated until now.
Objectives: This study was designed to assess the antidiabetic effect of combined administration of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia L.) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats compared to metformin and to explain the mechanism behind this effect.
Materials and methods: STZ was utilized to induce diabetes mellitus in male Sprague–Dawley rats. Assessments of fasting blood glucose level (BGL), the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), serum insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA–β cells were performed. Pancreatic gene expression of β-catenin and p53 was assessed using RT-PCR. Assessment of histopathological alterations of pancreatic islet cells was performed using routine and immunohistochemical techniques.
Results: BGL significantly decreased (p = 0.01), while serum insulin and TAC significantly increased (p < 0.001) in both metformin- and ginger plus cinnamon–treated groups compared to the untreated diabetic group. HOMA–β cell index significantly increased (p = 0.001) in ginger plus cinnamon, indicating their enhancing effect on insulin secretion in diabetic conditions. p53 gene expression was significantly upregulated (p < 0.001), while β-catenin was insignificantly downregulated (p = 0.32) in ginger plus cinnamon–treated groups. Insulin immunoexpression in β cells significantly increased (p = 0.001, p = 0.004) in metformin- and ginger plus cinnamon–treated groups, respectively.
Conclusions: The combined administration of ginger and cinnamon has a significant hypoglycemic and antioxidant effect in STZ-induced diabetes mostly through enhancing repair of islet cells mediated via upregulation of pancreatic p53 expression. Therefore, testing this effect in diabetic patients is recommended.
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