Objective: To observe the effects of Tangzhiping on the glucose-toxicity

lipotoxicity and the oxidative stress of pancreatic tissue in type 2 diabetic rats. Method : Type 2 diabetes mellitus was induced in male SD rats by feeding with high fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of low-dose streptozotocin (30 mg ·kg-1). Forty diabetic rats were randomly assigned to the model

Tangzhiping

alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and normal control groups. Rats in Tangzhiping group were performed intragastric administration of 20 g ·kg-1 ·d-1 crude drug of Tangzhiping

and rats in ALA group were administrated with 20 mg ·kg-1 ·d-1 ALA

other two groups were administrated with distilled water by equal volume. All four groups had been treated for eight weeks. Body mass (BM)

fast plasma glucose (FPG)

glycolated hemoglobin (HbA1c)

serum free fatty acid (FFA) and fast insulin (FINS) of rats were measured after eight weeks. And meanwhile superoxide dismutase (SOD)

glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px)

malonaldehyde (MDA) of pancreatic tissue were measured. Pathologic changes of pancreatic tissue were observed. Result : Compared with the model group

the levels of BM

FPG

HbA1c

FFA

FINS

SOD

GSH-Px and MDA of rats in both Tangzhiping group and ALA group were all significantly improved (P<0.05 or 0.01) and pathological observation showed that the number of pancreas islet increased significantly and the injured pancreas were partially repaired in both groups. The effects of Tangzhiping group on BM

FPG

HbA1c

FFA

FINS were superior to those of ALA group

the differences were all significant (P<0.01). Conclusion : Tangzhiping can protect effectively the pancreatic islet β cells to improve insulin secretion and glucolipid metabolism by effectively inhibiting the glucose-toxicity

lipotoxicity and the oxidative stress of pancreatic tissue in type 2 diabetic rats.