ABSTRACT
Many in vitro and experimental animal studies indicated that melatonin has an important role in regulation of blood glucose level. No clinical data on the pharmacological use of this supplement in the management of diabetic complications, like dyslipidemia, were available to support its therapeutic role in diabetes mellitus. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of adjuvant use of melatonin and zinc acetate to improve the impaired lipid profile in type 1 diabetes mellitus patients poorly controlled with exogenous insulin. This study was carried on 50 type 1 diabetes mellitus patients with mild response to insulin treatment, and randomized into 3 groups. Group A treated with a combination of lOmg melatonin and 50mg zinc acetate; group B treated with 50mg zinc acetate only and group C treated with placebo. All treatment formulas were administered orally for 90 days. Plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C] were evaluated before starting treatment and after each 30 days for 3 months. Treatment of DM patients with melatonin and zinc decreases the elevated levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-C after 30 days, while HDL-C levels were significantly elevated after 90 days of treatment. Adjuvant use of a combination of melatonin and zinc improves the impaired lipid profile in type 1 diabetic patients poorly controlled with insulin treatment