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Possible homeostatic, glucose uptake mechanisms and hepato-pancreatic histological effects of intermittent fasting, exercise, starvation, and honey in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats

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Abstract

Objectives

This study investigated the possible changes in glucose homeostasis, homeostatic model assessment, glucose transporter-4, and hepato-pancreatic histology in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats following intermittent fasting, exercise, starvation, and honey treatment.

Methods

In the non-diabetic phase, rats were administered an oral regimen of distilled water (10 mL/kg), IF, starvation, and honey (1 g/kg) for 4 weeks while in the diabetic phase, after STZ injections, interventions with IF, exercise, starvation, and honey treatment were administered for 4 weeks. This was followed by biochemical studies.

Results

In addition to increasing insulin resistance as shown by a high HOMA-IR score, STZ-induced diabetes decreased glucose transporter-4 (GLUT-4), increased HOMA-IR, HOMA-insulin sensitivity, and HOMA-beta cell function in the pancreas. Notably, IF and exercise greatly ameliorated these changes in diabetic rats unlike starvation and honey regimen. Streptozotocin and starvation substantially and partially destroyed hepato-pancreatic cells, according to histopathological studies, although these were moderately ameliorated by IF and exercise therapies, and less by honey treatment.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that the IF and exercise and honey treatment to a smaller extent attenuate type 2 diabetes via enhancement of insulin sensitivity, reduction of sugar level, modulate GLUT-4, and hepatic-pancreatic-cell protection.

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Data availability

The corresponding author can provide all of the data used in this article upon request.

Code availability

Not applicable.

Abbreviations

STZ:

Streptozotocin

IF:

Intermittent fasting

IS:

Insulin sensitivity

IR:

Insulin resistance

HOMA:

Homeostatic model assessment

HOMA-IR:

Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance

HOMA-IS:

Homeostatic model assessment of insulin sensitivity

HOMA-B:

Homeostatic model assessment of beta cell

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to the technical personnel of Delta State University’s Department of Physiology in Abraka, Nigeria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria

    Ejime A. Chijiokwu, Eze K. Nwangwa, Alexander O. Naiho, Prosper A. Ehiwarior & Udoka S. Nwabuoku

  2. Department of Human Physiology, Achievers University, Ondo State, Owo, Nigeria

    Mega O. Oyovwi

  3. Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, College of Health Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria

    Benneth Ben-Azu & Emuesiri Goodies Moke

  4. Department of Physiology, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Ondo State, Nigeria

    Victor Emojevwe

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  1. Ejime A. Chijiokwu
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Contributions

Conceptualization E.A.C., N.E.K., M.O.O.; data curation, writing original draft preparation M.O.O., B.A.B., A.O.N.; review and editing B.A.B., E.G.N., N.E.K., M.O.O.; supervision N.E.K.; validation N.E.K., E.V.; funding acquisition E.A.C., N.E.K., P.A.E., U.D.S. All authors have read and agreed to the publishing of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Benneth Ben-Azu.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethical approval

The Ethical Review Committee of Delta State University gave their approval to perform this study on 09/11/2021 with the reference number REC/FBMS/DELSU/21/121. The Delta State University Ethical Review Committee (DSUERC) guarantees that all institutional guidelines and regulations are followed, as well as that all adverse events are reported to the DSUERC as soon as possible.

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Chijiokwu, E.A., Nwangwa, E.K., Oyovwi, M.O. et al. Possible homeostatic, glucose uptake mechanisms and hepato-pancreatic histological effects of intermittent fasting, exercise, starvation, and honey in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats. Nutrire 48, 16 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41110-023-00204-z

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