Objective: To observe the effect of Coriopsis extract on the levels of blood sugar

insulin secretion

and insulin receptor substrate-1/phosphatidyl inositol kinase(3)/glucose transporter type 4(IRS-1/PI3K/GLUT4) pathway of signal transduction in streptozocin(STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Method: Total 35 male STZ-induced diabetic Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups: model group

Coriopsis extract low

medium and high dose groups

and positive control group (n=7 in each group); another 7 SPF male Wistar rats were used as normal controls. Normal saline was given in normal group and model group; the rats in Coriopsis extract low

medium and high dose groups received 100

200

400 mg·kg-1·d-1 extract respectively by intragastric administration; the rats in positive control group were administered with pioglitazone 10 mg·kg-1·d-1. After four weeks of treatment

pericardial blood was taken and serum was taken by centrifugation; in addition

pancreatic tissues were taken. ELISA assay was used to test the insulin (INS) level in rats; Western blot assay was used to test the protein expression levels of IRS-1，PI3K and GLUT4 in skeletal muscle; GLUT4 mRNA expression level was tested by Real-time PCR . Result: After 4 weeks of treatment

the effect of Coriopsis extract on reducing the body weight of diabetic rats was not obvious

but it could reduce the fasting blood glucose

postprandial 2 h blood glucose obviously

promote insulin secretion to a certain extent

and promote the expression levels of regulatory factors IRS-1，PI3K and GLUT4

with significant difference as compared with model group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Coriopsis extract can reduce blood sugar in type 2 diabetic rats

promotes insulin secretion

improve IRS-1，PI3K

GLUT4 expression levels in skeletal muscle of rats

and improve insulin resistance.