Anti-diabetic effect of balanced deep-sea water and its mode of action in high-fat diet induced diabetic mice

• Published in: Marine drugs 2013-10, Vol.11 (11), p.4193-4212
• Main Authors: Ha, Byung Geun, Shin, Eun Ji, Park, Jung-Eun, Shon, Yun Hee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3T3-L1 Cells; Adipocytes - drug effects; Adipocytes - metabolism; Animals; Blood Glucose - drug effects; Cell Line; deep-sea water; diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus - metabolism; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Glucagon - metabolism; Glucose - metabolism; glucose tolerance; Glucose Tolerance Test - methods; high-fat diet; hyperglycemia; Hypoglycemic Agents - pharmacology; Insulin - metabolism; Islets of Langerhans - drug effects; Islets of Langerhans - metabolism; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Phosphorylation - drug effects; Seawater; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Water - metabolism; Water - pharmacology
• ISSN: 1660-3397; 1660-3397
• DOI: 10.3390/md11114193

In this study, we investigated the effects of balanced deep-sea water (BDSW) on hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced diabetic C57BL/6J mice. BDSW was prepared by mixing deep-sea water (DSW) mineral extracts and desalinated water to give a final hardness of 500-2000. Mice given an HFD with BDSW showed lowered fasting plasma glucose levels compared to HFD-fed mice. Oral and intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests showed that BDSW improves impaired glucose tolerance in HFD-fed mice. Histopathological evaluation of the pancreas showed that BDSW recovers the size of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans, and increases the secretion of insulin and glucagon in HFD-fed mice. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction results revealed that the expression of hepatic genes involved in glucogenesis, glycogenolysis and glucose oxidation were suppressed, while those in glucose uptake, β-oxidation, and glucose oxidation in muscle were increased in mice fed HFD with BDSW. BDSW increased AMP-dependent kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation in 3T3-L1 pre- and mature adipocytes and improved impaired AMPK phosphorylation in the muscles and livers of HFD-induced diabetic mice. BDSW stimulated phosphoinositol-3-kinase and AMPK pathway-mediated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Taken together, these results suggest that BDSW has potential as an anti-diabetic agent, given its ability to suppress hyperglycemia and improve glucose intolerance by increasing glucose uptake.