Gum Arabic regulates glucose metabolic enzymes through modification of hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase expression in diabetic rats

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease that becomes one of the most serious problems of modern times, due to its long-lasting health complications. Gluconeogenesis is a responsible for continued production of glucose by using glucose synthesis enzymes. However, the effect of Gum Arabic (GA) on phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) enzymes has not been reported. This study aims to investigate the effect of GA on PEPCK enzymes in diabetes rats. A total of thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups (n = 10 of each): control group; diabetic group (150 mg/kg Alloxan); and diabetic group which was given 10 % GA in drinking water for 8 weeks. The effect of GA on lipid profile, serum glucose, and liver function enzymes levels were investigated. Oxidative stress gene activities, hepatic glucose regulating-enzymes, G6p1 and PEPK mRNA expression were measured. The result revealed GA administration significantly decreased plasma total cholesterol, and LDL concentrations compared to the diabetic group. GA-treatment significantly decreased concentrations of serum glucose, leptin, and TNF-α, and increased serum insulin compared to the diabetic group. Furthermore, treatment with GA significantly ubregulated SOD, CAT and GSH-Px concentration compared to the diabetic group. Consequently, GA-treatment significantly downregulated the activity of PEPCK, and Glucose-6-phosphatase enzymes and ubregulated hepatic hexokinase and pyruvate kinase activities compared to the diabetic groups. Likewise, GA-treatment significantly down-regulated the PEPK and G6p1 protein expression in liver compared to the diabetic group. Our findings suggest that the administration of GA prevented diabetic behavior via modification of PEPCK expression in diabetes rats.