Piceatannol attenuates streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes in mice

Abstract

As a natural analog of resveratrol, piceatannol (Pic) exhibits good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in different disease models. However, the role of Pic in type 1 diabetes mouse model has not been reported yet. In this study, we investigated the in vivo effect of Pic in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetic mice. Mice were injected with STZ to establish the type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) model. After stable hyperglycemia was achieved, mice were then orally treated with Pic (40 mg/kg b.w., i.g.) for 30 days. The results indicated that Pic supplementation efficiently alleviated the typical symptoms associated with T1DM, including body weight loss, polydipsia, hyperglycemia, and hypoinsulinemia. Pic treatment also improved the glucose tolerance of STZ-induced diabetic mice. In addition, Pic supplementation markedly decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory molecules TNF-α and IL-6, the expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers GRP78 and CHOP, and the level of oxidative stress in T1DM mice. Moreover, Pic administration also partly reversed the metabolic profiles of STZ-treated mice as detected by 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics. Our study suggested that the therapeutic potential of Pic in type 1 diabetes and the anti-diabetic effects of Pic may be associated with its activities to suppress oxidative stress, inflammation, and ER stress.