Potential effect of chromium on serum insulin and blood glucose levels in nondiabetic, diabetic and in glibenclamide pretreated diabetic rats

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, there is increasing data supporting the idea that inadequate dietary chromium may be responsible in part of impaired glucose tolerance resulting in hyperglycemia, glucosuria and insulin resistance. Therefore the present study is designed to elucidate potential effect of chromium in glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. Fifty male albino rats weighing 120 +/- 20 gm were used in this study. The animals were classified into three groups, each group was used to conduct one experiment. It was found that in the first experiment, chromium produced a significant decrease in blood glucose but did not produce significant changes in serum insulin level, while in the second group, chromium produced a significant decrease in blood glucose level accompanied by a significant increase in serum insulin level with obvious regeneration of beta cells of pancreas. In the third group, chromium produced a significant decrease in blood glucose as well as significant increase in serum insulin level. Also in concomitant administration of chromium with glibenclamide, produced high significant decrease in blood glucose level and increase in serum insulin level and the histopathological picture of beta cells appear to be more or less normal. Chromium decreases blood glucose and increases serum insulin level in alloxan induced diabetic rats as well as potentiates the hypoglycemic and hyperinsulinemic effect of glibenclamide. These effects may be due to the increment of responsivens of insulin receptors, also may be related to a cell protecting effect of chromium especially on beta cells of pancreas