Anti-glycemic effect of L-carnosine in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

Carnosine is a dipeptide $(\beta-alanyl-L-histidine)$ found in mammalian brain, eye, olfactory bulb and skeletal muscle at high concentrations. Its biological functions include antioxidant and anti-glycation activities. The objectives of this study were to investigate anti-diabetic effects of carnosine as determined by blood glucose levels, glucose tolerance test (GTT), glycosylated hemoglobin, and serum biochemical and lipid levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. There were five experimental groups including normal (ICR mice), control (saline), and three groups of carnosine at doses of 6, 30, and 150 mg/kg b.w.. Carnosine was orally administered to the diabetic mice everyday for 12 weeks. There was no significant difference in body weight changes in carnosine-treated groups compared to the control. The treatments of carnosine at the dose of 6 mg/kg significantly decreased the blood glucose level compared with the control at 2 and 4 weeks. The treatments of carnosine at the doses of 6 and 30 mg/kg significantly decreased the blood glucose levels in GTT and glycosylated hemoglobin compared with the control. Carnosine significantly increased total proteins compared with the control. Carnosine at the dose of 6 mg/kg significantly decreased total cholesterol and triglyceride in the serum compared to the control. These results suggest that carnosine at a low level has a hypoglycermic effect resulting from reduction of blood glucose and that a carnosine-containing diet or drug may give a benefit for controlling diabetes mellitus in humans.

Streptozotocin으로 유도된 당뇨 마우스에서 L-carnosine의 혈당강하 효과