The role of abnormal ketone bodies during insulin deficiency in streptozotocin induced diabetes

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is the most common metabolic disorder characterized by the presence of hyperglycemia due to defective insulin secretion, defective insulin action or both. This study aimed to determine the efficiency of treatment with different doses of insulin through comparing body weight and biochemical parameters such as liver function tests (aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminases (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP); glucose level; insulin level; pancreatic enzymes (amylase and lipase) activities; lipid profile (cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoproteins, low density lipoproteins) as well as determination of Beta hydroxybutyrate level (β-HB) which provide useful information for diagnosing and managing of diabetes complications in serum of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats among the experimental groups. Experimental animals were induced diabetes with a single injection of streptozotocin (STZ) at a dose of 75 mg/kg body weight. Seventy five male rats were divided into five equal groups each of fifteen. Control group (group I), diabetic group (group II), insulin treated diabetic groups (group III, IV and V) which received a single daily dose of one unit of insulin per each (50, 100 or 200 mg) rise in blood sugar, respectively. Obtained results revealed that body weight, different biochemical parameters and ketone bodies level were re-established in diabetic rats treated with affected dose of insulin. We concluded that treatment with sufficient dose of insulin is effective to maintain the biochemical parameters at or near normal level and also, we concluded that determination of β-HB was found to be useful in establishing the diagnosis and avoidance of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Thus, β-HB can be a sensitive metabolic marker to estimate the adequacy of insulin therapy.