Authors
Zhang H. Osada K. Sone H. Furukawa Y.
Institution
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Tohoku
University, Sendai Japan.
Title
Biotin administration improves the impaired glucose
tolerance of streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats.
Source
Journal of Nutritional Science & Vitaminology. 43(3):271-80, 1997 Jun.
Abstract
The effect of biotin administration on the glucose tolerance
of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Wistar rats was investigated.
STZ-induced diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal
injection of streptozotocin (45 mg/kg body weight as a single dose). The
impaired glucose tolerance in response to an oral glucose load (1.8g per kg
body weight) in STZ-induced diabetic rats (STZ-rat) was partially improved by
intraperitoneal administration of biotin for 15 days (100
micrograms/rat/day). However, a recovery in the STZ-rat's insulin secretion
was not found after biotin administration. To help clarify
the mechanism underlying the improvement in glucose tolerance seen with
biotin treatment, glucokinase and hexokinase activities were
determined in the liver and pancreas. In STZ-rats that had received
biotin (STZ-biotin rats), glucokinase
activity was higher by 3.4-fold in liver and by 2.4-fold in pancreas than in
the STZ-rats. The biotin level of STZ-rats was significantly
lower in the liver and pancreas than that of the control rats (no STZ
administration); but in STZ-biotin rats, the level in these
organs recovered to the control level. These results demonstrate that
injected biotin can improve glucose handling without
increasing insulin secretion in STZ-rats.