ABSTRACT
Possessing putative hypolipidemic effects, Teucrium polium [TP] have been traditionally used as a medicinal plant in Iran. The aim of the present study was to investigate this effect on the sucrose-induced insulin resistance male rat model. Thirty Wistar male rats weighting 180 +/- 20 g were divided into five groups of six each. Four groups were given sucrose 50% in drinking water for 10 weeks. In 8th week of treatment, three groups of them were randomly selected and treated with Teucrium polium [T. polium] ethyl acetate extract [50, 100 and 200 mg/Kg for two weeks]. Control animals were fed using normal rat chow. After ten weeks, blood samples were collected from the heart. Blood Glucose, insulin, leptin, lipid content and fasting insulin resistance index [FIRI] as well as liver and muscle glycogen and lipid contents were determined. Final data were analyzed by ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey's test. Liver glycogen contents and blood levels of glucose and insulin were significantly increased in high sucrose [HS] group compared with control group. A significant decrease was observed in blood glucose and insulin levels, FIRI, serum total lipid, triglyceride and VLDL-c as well as the liver triglyceride level, muscle and liver glycogen contents in 100 and 200 mg/Kg of TP-treated groups compared with HS group. Leptin level was significantly decreased in 50 and 100 mg/Kg groups compared with HS group. The treatment with T. polium ethyl acetate extract [TP-EAE] induced a dose-dependent reduction in serum, liver and muscle triglyceride [TG] and liver glycogen content levels, as well as serum insulin. These effects may be attributed, in part, to the hypolipidemic effect of TP flavonoids; otherwise, the hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of TP-EAE may improve the liver function and reverse harmful sucrose effects