MULBERRY LEAVES LOWER THE ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY AND EXPRESSION OF HEPATIC ARYLSULFATASE B IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

摘要

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic defect characterized by an enzymatic alteration that reflects the change of the structure and function. Many enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism are modified during diabetes and it was found that arylsulfatase B (ASB) is one of these modified enzymes. In this article, we investigated the catalytic characters and gene expression of hepatic ASB in streptozotocin - induced diabetic rats supplemented daily with a black mulberry as an anti-diabetic material. Diabetes was induced experimentally in rats by one high dose of streptozotocin and different groups of the diabetic rats were supplemented with a black mulberry (Morus nigra) leaves and the juice. The results demonstrated that the black mulberry leaves suppressed the blood sugar levels in diabetic rats. Moreover, the administration of leaves decreased significantly the activity of hepatic ASB and its V-max value returned to normal. However, mulberry juice failed to lower significantly the activity of that enzyme or its V-max value. Furthermore, the study of the gene expression of the enzyme showed the same tendency. These data suggest that the daily treatment of mulberry leaves has a potent effect to correct the diabetes - stimulated ASB alteration.