Possible homeostatic, glucose uptake mechanisms and hepato-pancreatic histological effects of intermittent fasting, exercise, starvation, and honey in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats

• Published in: Nutrire : revista de Sociedade Brasileira de Alimentação e Nutrição = journal of the Brazilian Society of Food and Nutrition 2023-03, Vol.48 (1), p.16, Article 16
• Main Authors: Chijiokwu, Ejime A., Nwangwa, Eze K., Oyovwi, Mega O., Ben-Azu, Benneth, Naiho, Alexander O., Moke, Emuesiri Goodies, Emojevwe, Victor, Ehiwarior, Prosper A., Nwabuoku, Udoka S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antidiabetics; Clinical Nutrition; Diabetes; Exercise; Food Science; Glucose; Insulin; Insulin resistance; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nutrition
• ISSN: 2316-7874; 1519-8928; 2316-7874
• DOI: 10.1186/s41110-023-00204-z

Objectives This study investigated the possible changes in glucose homeostasis, homeostatic model assessment, glucose transporter-4, and hepato-pancreatic histology in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats following intermittent fasting, exercise, starvation, and honey treatment. Methods In the non-diabetic phase, rats were administered an oral regimen of distilled water (10 mL/kg), IF, starvation, and honey (1 g/kg) for 4 weeks while in the diabetic phase, after STZ injections, interventions with IF, exercise, starvation, and honey treatment were administered for 4 weeks. This was followed by biochemical studies. Results In addition to increasing insulin resistance as shown by a high HOMA-IR score, STZ-induced diabetes decreased glucose transporter-4 (GLUT-4), increased HOMA-IR, HOMA-insulin sensitivity, and HOMA-beta cell function in the pancreas. Notably, IF and exercise greatly ameliorated these changes in diabetic rats unlike starvation and honey regimen. Streptozotocin and starvation substantially and partially destroyed hepato-pancreatic cells, according to histopathological studies, although these were moderately ameliorated by IF and exercise therapies, and less by honey treatment. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the IF and exercise and honey treatment to a smaller extent attenuate type 2 diabetes via enhancement of insulin sensitivity, reduction of sugar level, modulate GLUT-4, and hepatic-pancreatic-cell protection.