ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of balsamic vinegar on beta-cell dysfunction. METHODS: In this study, 28-week-old Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats were fed a normal chow diet or a high-fat diet (HFD) and were provided with tap water or dilute balsamic vinegar for 4 weeks. Oral glucose tolerance tests and histopathological analyses were performed thereafter. RESULTS: In rats fed both the both chow diet and the HFD, the rats given balsamic vinegar showed increased insulin staining in islets compared with tap water administered rats. Balsamic vinegar administration also increased beta-cell ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily A member 1 (ABCA1) expression in islets and decreased cholesterol levels. CONCLUSION: These findings provide the first evidence for an anti-diabetic effect of balsamic vinegar through improvement of beta-cell function via increasing beta-cell ABCA1 expression.