Objective: To observe the effects of Wuzi Jiangtang Fang on blood glucose and the glucose transporter 4(GLUT4) expression in skeleton muscle of type 2 diabetic model rats to explore the molecular mechanism of improving glucose metabolism. Method: The rat model of type 2 diabetes was established by feeding with high-fat diet for 6 weeks and intraperitoneal injection of small dose of streptozotocin(STZ). The diabetic rats were randomly divided into model group administrated with purified water

metformin group with metformin suspension

Wuzi Jiangtang Fang groups with water extracts of different doses respectively. Meanwhile

normal group was treated with purified water. The dose was 7.5 mL·kg-1 of body weight every day. The interventions were administrated by ig for 6 weeks. The fasting blood glucose and 2 h postprandial blood glucose were detected at the beginning of the treatment

and at the ends of the second

the fourth and the sixth week during the 6 weeks' treatment period respectively. At the end of the sixth week

the skeleton muscle was taken for the measurement of GLUT4 protein expression. Result: Compared with the normal group

the blood glucose levels of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) rats were elevated and the GLUT4 expression of skeleton muscle was decreased in T2DM model rats

with significant differences in all of the items above (P<0.05); Wuzi Jiangtang Fang reduced the fasting blood glucose and 2 h postprandial blood glucose levels of T2DM model rats

and improved the GLUT4 expression in skeleton muscle of T2DM model rats. The differences regarding the item examined above all had statistical significance (P<0.05). Conclusion: Wuzi Jiangtang Fang can decrease the fasting blood glucose and 2 h postprandial blood glucose of T2DM model rats

which may be related with the improvement of GLUT4 expression in skeleton muscle of T2DM model rats.