Succinic Acid Monoethyl Ester and Metformin Regu-lates Carbohydrate Metabolic Enzymes and Im-proves Glycemic Control in Streptozotocin-Nicotinamide Induced Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Objective. Succnic acid mono ethyl ester (EMS) was recently proposed as an insulinotropic agent for the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. In the present study the effect of EMS and Metfor-min on the activities of carbohydrate metabolic enzymes in streptozotocin–nicotinamide induced type 2 diabeteic model was investigated. Methods. EMS were injected intraperitonially at doses 2, 4, and 8 μmol/g body weight (bw) respectively for 30 days, after which blood hemoglobin, glycosylated hemoglo-bin, plasma glucose and insulin, hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase, glu-cose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in liver and glycogen in liver and muscle were assayed. Results. Glu-cose, glycosylated hemoglobin, glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bis phosphatase were signifi-cantly increased and insulin, hemoglobin, hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and glyco-gen were significantly decreased in diabetic rats. The enzyme activities were restored to the near normal levels in diabetic rats treated with EMS and Metformin. Conclusion. Our result suggest that non glucidic nutrient- EMS may act as a potent antidiabetic and insulinotropic agent by restoring the above biochemi-cal alterations in streptozotocin -nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetes.