Potential antidiabetic activity of benzimidazole derivative albendazole and lansoprazole drugs in different doses in experimental type 2 diabetic rats

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this study is to determine the effects of different concentrations of albendazole and lansoprazole, which were benzimidazole derivatives, on endocrinologic and biochemical parameters in experimental type 2 diabetic (T2D) rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 46 male Wistar Albino rats were used. Animals were divided as healthy control (0.1 mL/rat/day saline, s.c, n = 6), diabetes control (0.1 mL/rat/day saline, s.c, n = 8), diabetes+low-dose albendazole (5 mg/kg, oral, n = 8), diabetes+high-dose albendazole (10 mg/kg, oral n = 8), diabetes+low-dose lansoprazole (15 mg/kg, subcutaneous, n = 8), and diabetes+high-dose lansoprazole (30 mg/kg, subcutaneous, n = 8). All groups were treated for 8 weeks. The blood samples were analyzed by autoanalyzer and ELISA kits for biochemical and endocrinological parameters, respectively. RESULTS: Glucose, HbA1c, triglyceride, low density cholesterol (LDL), leptin, and Homeostatic Model Assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels increased and insulin and HOMA-β levels decreased in the diabetic rats compared to the healthy control group. The glucose, HbA1c, and triglyceride levels were partially decreased; however, insulin and HOMA-β levels were increased by low-dose albendazole therapy. The high dose of lansoprazole treatment increased insulin level. CONCLUSION: The lansoprazole and albendazole treatments can be a potential drug or combined with antidiabetic drugs in T2D treatment by Adenosine 5 ′ -monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), incretin-like effect and other antidiabetic mechanisms. It may be beneficial to create an effective treatment strategy by developing more specific substances with benzimidazole scaffold.