ABSTRACT
Coffee consumption reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes in humans, but the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of coffee on pancreatic ß-cells in the induction of diabetes by streptozotocin (STZ) treatment in mice. We examined the effect of coffee, caffeine, or decaffeinated coffee ingestion on STZ-induced hyperglycemia. After STZ injection in Exp. 1 and 2, serum glucose concentration and water intake in coffee ingestion (Coffee group) tended to be lowered or was significantly lowered compared to those in water ingestion (Water group) instead of coffee. In Exp. 1, the values for water intake and serum glucose concentration in caffeine ingestion (Caffeine group) were similar to those in the Water group. In Exp. 2, serum glucose concentrations in the decaffeinated coffee ingestion (Decaf group) tended to be lower than those in the Water group. Pancreatic insulin contents tended to be higher in the Coffee and Decaf groups than in the Water group (Exp. 1 and 2). In Exp. 3, subsequently, we showed that coffee ingestion also suppressed the deterioration of hyperglycemia in diabetic mice which had been already injected with STZ. This study showed that coffee ingestion prevented the development of STZ-induced diabetes and suppressed hyperglycemia in STZ-diabetic mice. Caffeine or decaffeinated coffee ingestion did not significantly suppress STZ-induced hyperglycemia. These results suggest that the combination of caffeine and other components of decaffeinated coffee are needed for the preventive effect on pancreatic ß-cell destruction. Coffee ingestion may contribute to the maintenance of pancreatic insulin contents.
