Hepatic electrical stimulation reduces blood glucose in diabetic rats

AbstractBackground The aim of this study was to investigatethe feasibility and mechanisms of controlling bloodglucose using hepatic electrical stimulation (HES).Methods The study was performed in regular Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, streptozotocin-induced type 1 dia-betic rats and Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) ratschronically implanted with one pair of stimulationelectrodes on two lobes of the liver tissues. KeyResults (i) Hepatic electrical stimulation was effectivein reducing blood glucose by 27%–31% at time points60, 75 and 90 min after oral glucose in normal rats;(ii) HES reduced blood glucose in both fasting andfed states in both type 1 and type 2 diabetic rats;(iii) Chronic HES decreased the blood glucose level,and, delayed gastric empty and increased plasmaglucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) level; and (iv) Noadverse events were noted in any rats during HES.Histopathological analyses and liver function testsrevealed no electrode dislodgement, tissue damages orliver enzyme changes with HES. Conclusions &Inferences Hepatic electrical stimulation is capable ofreducing both fasting and fed blood glucose in normal,and type 1 and type 2 diabetic rats and the effect maybe partially mediated via an increase in GLP-1 release.Keywords blood glucose, diabetes, electricalstimulation, gastrointestinal hormones, glycemiccontrol, hyperglycemia.Diabetes affects millions of Americans. The patho-physiology of diabetes is complex although it is wellestablished that insulin resistance and pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction/failure are involved to a varyingextent in different subsets of patients.