Effect of Biochanin A on Serum Visfatin Level of Streptozocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

BACKGROUND: Bioflavonoids are well known for their multi directional biologic activity including antidiabetic effect. It has been demonstrated that flavonoids can act as insulin secretagogue or insulin mimetic agents. OBJECTIVES: This experimental study was designed in Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran, to investigate the effects of biochanin A (a bioflavonoid) on fasting blood glucose (FBG), body weight, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1)c), lipid profile, serum enzymes, and visfatin of streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used 24 male Wistar rats and randomly allocated them to four groups of six rats. One group was randomly assigned as control and diabetes was induced in three other groups by administration of streptozocin (35 mg/kg of body weight) intraperitoneally. The groups received the following treatments: group 1 (control), 5% DMSO; group 2 (diabetic control), 0.5% DMSO; and group 3 and 4, respectively 10 and 15 mg/kg biochanin A for 30 days. Body weight and biochemical parameters including FBG, HbA(1)c, lipid profile, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and visfatin were measured in all rats. RESULTS: FBG level was significantly reduced in treated diabetic rats (139.8 ± 9.3 and 206 ± 11 mg/dL in groups 3 and 4, respectively) in comparison to the diabetic control (295.1 ± 14 mg/dL) (P < 0.05). Administration of biochanin A significantly decreased HbA(1)c in group 3 (6.66 ± 0.33) and group 4 (7.11 ± 0.31) in comparison to the diabetic control group (8.26 ± 0.44) (P < 0.05). Levels of serum visfatin were improved to near normal levels in the treated rats (249 ± 35.5 and 161.33 ± 13.07 in groups 3 and 4, respectively) in comparison to the diabetic control (302.17 ± 19.4) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, biochanin A showed a protective effect against weight loss in diabetic rats (P < 0.05). In treated rats, serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) were significantly decreased and high-density lipoprotein (HDL-c) was increased in comparison with the diabetic control group. In addition, biochanin A restored the altered plasma enzymes (AST, ALT, and ALP) activities to near normal. Histopathologic examination of the pancreas also indicated that biochanin A had protective effects on β-cells in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that biochanin A possessed hypoglycemic and antilipemic activities and could increase visfatin expression, which suggests its beneficial effect in the treatment of diabetes.