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Db/db mice (carrying a mutation in the gene encoding leptin receptor) show autophagy suppression. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of autophagy inducer trehalose on liver and heart autophagy in db/db mice and to study inflammation dysregulation and the suitability of chitinases’ expression levels as diabetes markers. Thirty-eight male db/db mice and C57/BL mice (control) were used. The db/db model manifested inflammation symptoms: overexpression of TNF-α in the spleen and underexpression of IL-10 in the liver and spleen (cytokine imbalance). Simultaneously, we revealed decreased expression of chitotriosidase (CHIT1) and acid mammalian chitinase (CHIA) in the liver of db/db mice. CHIA expression in db/db mice is significantly lower only in the spleen. Trehalose treatment significantly reduced blood glucose concentration and glycated hemoglobin. Treatment of db/db mice by trehalose was followed by increased autophagy induction in the heart and liver (increased autolysosomes volume density studied by morphometric electron-microscopic method). Trehalose exerted beneficial cardiac effects possibly via increased lipophagy (uptake of lipid droplets). The autophagy activation by trehalose had several positive effects on the heart and liver of db/db mice; therefore, lipophagy activation seems to be a promising therapy for diabetes.

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It is suggested that mannan serotype A, like β-glucan, may represent another hypolipidaemic agent, which could potentially be used as an adjunctive therapy with conventional antihyperlipidaemic drugs (statins and fibrates) in humans.