Blood glucose level and other biochemical changes induced in normal mice by oral Traditional Chinese Medicine complex for diabetes (TCM-D )

Background: A number of Traditional ChineseMedicine (TCM) preparations are being used for thetreatment of diabetes mellitus. Some componentsof these preparations have biochemical effects otherthan those of lowering blood glucose and indeed havebeen used for other medical indications in traditionalpractice. The primary objective of the study was todetermine the effect of the oral mixture of TraditionalChinese Medicine for diabetes (TCM-D complex) onblood glucose level and the biochemical changes if any,on the liver (ALT, AST, gamma-GT, albumin, globulin)and renal (blood creatinine, urea) functions in normalmice. The oral mixture is an aqueous extract of four wellknowntraditional Chinese medicinal herbs and consistsof Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim., Paeonia lactiflora Pall.,Glycyrrhiza uranlensis Fisch., and Panax ginseng (red)CA Meyer in the proportion of 36%, 28%, 18%, and18% respectively of the dry weight. These herbs havebeen shown to have blood glucose lowering activity andhave been used for other traditional medicinal purposes.The safety of the combination was evaluated in thepresent study.Methods: Experimental Balb/c mice were treated orallyvia gastric tube with the extract at daily doses equivalentto 1 and 10 times the recommended human dose for8 weeks. Blood glucose and other biochemical profileswere monitored at pre-treatment and monthly posttreatmentuntil killed.Results: When compared to pre-treatment levels, theblood glucose levels were significantly lower in treatedanimals compared to those in the control group. Atthe recommended TCM-D dose the levels in treatedanimals were significantly lower than that of controlanimals and at pre-treatment. When compared withpre-treatment, the glucose levels were lowest at Week8 of treatment, the mean levels being 111.23%, 83.32%and 70.33% in control, and in animals given 1 x and10 x the recommended TCM-D dosage respectively.The blood glucose lowering effect was also associatedwith a significant weight loss in treated animals. Therewere transient increases in AST and ALT levels but these reverted to normal at Week 8 of treatment.The levels of bilirubin, g-GT, albumin, creatinineand blood urea were also not significantly different atWeek 8 from pre-treatment levels in all groups.Conclusion: Even at 10 times the dosage recommendedfor humans, TCM-D did not affect the liver andrenal functions of treated animals. Treated and controlanimals remained healthy and normal throughout theperiod of observation.