The Effect of Sanggua Drink Extract on Insulin Resistance through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

Treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using thiazolidinediones and biguanides can present several challenges for patients. Sanggua Drink (SGD) is a commonly used agent in traditional Chinese medicine, and it consists of Folium Mori, Fructus Momordicae Charantiae, Radix Puerariae Lobatae, and Rhizoma Dioscorea. The hypoglycemic effects and mechanisms of SGD extracts on insulin resistance in diabetic rats were investigated. SGD (1.24 g/kg orally) was verified in T2DM rats induced by a high-fat diet and streptozotocin. The results showed that SGD treatment was observed to reduce fasting blood glucose, water and food intake, total cholesterol triglycerides, and LDL, OGTT, FINS, HOMA-IR, GHb, and MDA and increase hepatic glycogen, HDL, SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px in diabetic rats. Simultaneously, SGD treatment by T2DM showed significantly ameliorated pathological changes and reduced inflammation in the pancreas. Treatment was also observed to increase gene and protein expressions of InsR, IRS-2, PI3K, AKT, and Glut4 in the livers of diabetic treated rats. These results suggest that SGD extracts have hypoglycemic properties and may alleviate insulin resistance in T2DM rats through the PI3K/AKT pathway. Therefore, SGD appears to be a promising insulin sensitizer.