Abstract
Statins may affect glucose metabolism through adipokines. The aim of this study was to measure the effects of hydrophilic statins on some adipokine levels in diabetic rats. Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups: healthy control, untreated diabetic, diabetic treated with pravastatin, and diabetic treated with rosuvastatin. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Thereafter, 20 mg/kg/day doses of either pravastatin or rosuvastatin were administered to the treated diabetic rats for eight weeks. At the end of the experiment, the body weights, the levels of fasting blood glucose, serum insulin and insulin resistance as wel as serum adiponectin, leptin, visfatin and vaspin were measured. Fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance levels were significantly higher, whereas insulin level and the body weight were significantly lower in untreated diabetic group than the control group. Diabetes caused significant decreases in adiponectin, leptin, vaspin levels, but a significant increase in visfatin level. Pravastatin treatment significantly increased the body weight and decreased the fasting blood glucose level, whereas rosuvastatin decreased the body weight and did not have any effect on fasting blood glucose level. Pravastatin caused significant increases in both adiponectin and vaspin levels. However, rosuvastatin did not have any effect on adiponectin level, whereas caused a decrease in vaspin level. Both pravastatin and rosuvastatin treatments decreased the levels of leptin and visfatin.
In conclussion, pravastatin is more effective to improve the fasting blood glucose level and the body weight in diabetes, probably by increasing adiponectin and vaspin levels.