Protective Effects of Quercetin on Hyperglycemia and Stress Proteins Expression in Rats with Streptozocin-Induced Diabetes

Abstract

Background: Hyperglycemia-mediated oxidative stress has been participated in complications of diabetes. Although the beneficial effects of flavonoid quercetin in diabetes is known, target of this flavonoid in molecular level is unclear. This study aimed to investigate expression level of glucokinase and glucose-6-phosphatase as key enzyme in glucose metabolism in diabetes model rats treated with Methods: 24 adult male Wistar rats were used in this study. Healthy control group (n = 8) and two streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (60 mg/kg) as diabetic control group (n = 8) and quercetin treated group (15 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) (n = 8). At the end of treatment period (21 days), fasting blood sugar, malondialdehyde, and total antioxidant capacity in three groups of rats were measured, and the expression of stress proteins such as HSF-1, HSP27, and HSP70 as well as the enzymes glucokinase and glucose-6-phosphatase were assayed by real time PCR. Results: Quercetin significantly decreased fasting blood sugar and malondialdehyde levels compared with diabetic control group

Recent Advances in Potential Health Benefits of Quercetin

“…The diabetic group’s glucose levels increased along with uneven bone surfaces, but in the group receiving quercetin treatment, both blood glucose levels and alveolar bone surfaces reverted to normal. This demonstrates quercetin’s preventive function in rebuilding bone architecture damaged by diabetes [ 137 ]. The increase in AChE activity brought on by diabetes was prevented in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus by quercetin at a level of 50 mg/kg body weight.…”