Page 66 - GTM-4-2

Global Translational Medicine

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Luminal α-glucosidase inhibition improves

insulin sensitivity and modulates glycemic and
lipid profiles in obese rats with type 2 diabetes

mellitus

1
Orien L. Tulp * and Syed A. A. Rizvi 2,3
1 Department of Medicine, University of Science, Arts and Technology, Montserrat, British West
Indies, United Kingdom
2 Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Biomedical Sciences, Larkin University, Miami,
Florida, United States of America
3 Division of Clinical and Translational Research, Larkin Community Hospital, Miami, Florida,
United States of America

Abstract

Atherogenic plasma lipid and glycemic profiles are commonly observed in obesity and
adult-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and may improve following therapeutic
intervention. The effects of the luminal α-glucosidase inhibitor miglitol (MIG) on
carbohydrate digestion and plasma lipid profiles were evaluated in adult male obese
*Corresponding author: spontaneously hypertensive and diabetes-prone/Ntul//-cp rats, a genetic model that
Orien L. Tulp develops early-onset obesity and T2DM independently of diet. Rats were fed either a
(o.tulp@usat.edu) nutritionally complete diet (formulated by the United States Department of Agriculture)
Citation: Tul OL, Rizvi SAA. containing 54% sucrose as the carbohydrate component (control) or the same diet
Luminal α-glucosidase inhibition supplemented with MIG at 150 mg/kg of diet admixture ad libitum for <8 weeks. MIG
improves insulin sensitivity and
modulates glycemic and lipid treatment resulted in a ~15% decrease in energy intake (p<0.05), net weight gain
profiles in obese rats with type 2 (p<0.05), and a 14% decrease in adiposity (p<0.05), along with significant decreases in
diabetes mellitus. Global Transl fasting glucose, insulin, and glycated hemoglobin (p<0.05). In addition, MIG reduced
Med. 2025;4(2):58-70.
doi: 10.36922/gtm.6501 the glucose area under the curve by 20% (p<0.05), triglycerides by 15% (p<0.05), and
the total cholesterol, α-lipoprotein (low-density lipoprotein), and β-lipoprotein (high-
Received: November 22, 2024 density lipoprotein) fractions by 20% (p<0.05, all comparisons). MIG regimen also led to
1st revised: August 1, 2024 decreases in liver glucokinase, malic enzyme, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
2nd revised: February 5, 2025 (p<0.05). In conclusion, these results suggest that therapeutic α-glucosidase inhibition
through MIG improves multiple insulin-related atherogenic parameters and may serve
Accepted: February 21, 2025 as a useful adjunct in the long-term clinical management of plasma lipid and glycemic
Published online: March 26, 2025 profiles in the glucose-intolerant states of obesity and T2DM.
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s).
This is an Open Access article
distributed under the terms of the Keywords: Obesity; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Miglitol; α-glucosidase activity;
Creative Commons Attribution Glycemic parameters; Lipid profiles; Liver enzymes; Spontaneously hypertensive
License, permitting distribution, and diabetes-prone/Ntul//-cp rat
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with 1. Introduction
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Recent reports indicate that the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus
affiliations. (T2DM) now affects up to one-sixth of the population in some Westernized countries.

Volume 4 Issue 2 (2025) 58 doi: 10.36922/gtm.6501