Comparative Effects of Antidiabetic Drug, Metformin and Deferoxamine, on Serum Lipids, Serum Ferritin and Endocrine Indicators of Diabetes Mellitus Complications in Sreptozotocin Diabetic Rats

Aims: Increasing evidence has indicated that iron overload not only increases risks of insulin resistance and diabetes, but also causes cardiovascular diseases in non-diabetic and diabetic subjects. The present study compared the effects of metformin (met) and deferoxamine (DFX) on the serum lipids, serum ferritin and endocrine indicators of diabetes mellitus complications in streptozotocin experimental diabetes in rats.

Study Design: Experimental diabetes was induced in overnight fasted rats by a single dose i.p each of nicotinamide and, 15min after, STZ followed by administration of the anti-diabetic drugs, met (os, 250mg/kg b.wt) and DFX (i.p,150mg/kg b.wt), daily for 14 days. Blood and histological samples were collected and prepared for biochemical and histopathological analysis of indicators of cytotoxic side effects. Results were analysed statistically by Student t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results: Both drugs caused progressively increased hypoglycaemic effect with repeated doses. However, Metformin showed markedly higher potency in hypoglycaemic activity than DFX. STZ diabetes caused hyperlipidaemic effect with respect to lipid profile parameters except HDL and treatment with antidiabetic drugs metformin and deferoxamine reversed the hyperlipidaemic effect. On the other hand, STZ caused hypolipidaemic effect with respect to HDL but the antidiabetic drugs reversed it. However, DFX is more potent than metformin in reversing the effect of STZ diabetes on HDL. STZ diabetes induced elevation of serum ferritin while inducing reduction in serum insulin level. Metformin treatment reversed the adverse effects of STZ on insulin secretion only, whereas, DFX significantly reversed the adverse side effects of STZ on both serum ferritin and serum insulin. However, metformin-treatment and DFX-treatment exhibited comparable potency in their effects on insulin secretion.

Conclusion: Evidence from histological study of the pancreas suggests that both metformin and DFX were sufficiently biologically significant to effectively reverse the disruptic effects on the pancreatic exocrine tissue of diabetic rats.