Synergestic Effect of Vernonia Amygdalina and Glimepiride on Alloxan Induced Hyperglycaemia

Glimepiride is a sulfonylurea whose mechanism of action is to stimulate insulin release from the beta cell of the pancreas. It is an oral hypoglycaemic agent that is widely used in the management of type 2 Diabetes mellitus in Nigeria. Also, Vernonia amygdalina (VA) is a common shrub consumed in Nigeria. This study was done to investigate the effect of VA and glimepiride in alloxan induced hyperglycaemia. Twenty five (25) adult Wister albino rats of both sexes weighing 200-250g were randomly allocated into five (5) groups with five (5) rats per group. Group 1 was given normal saline alone without inducing hyperglycaemia in the group to serve as normoglycaemic control while animals in group 2, 3, 4 and 5 were given 65mg/kg bodyweight of alloxan monohydrate to induce hyperglycaemia according to the method of Osikwe et al., 2015, Onahinon et al.,2018. After inducing hyperglycaemia, group 2 were given normal saline, group 3, 100mg/kg body weight of VA, group 4, 2mg/kg body weight of glimepiride and group 5, 100mg/kg body weight of VA and 2mg/kg body weight of glimepiride for a duration of 2 weeks. The result showed that the fasting blood glucose of group 1 was 81±2.8 mg/dl. The fast blood glucose of group 2 was 283±8.3 vs 340±20.3mg/dl, group 3 was 304±3.8 198±3.3mg/dl, group 4 was 308±3.3 vs 216±1.5mg/dl and group 5 was 333±8.9 vs 151±5.1mg/dl. There was significant difference in the basal fasting blood glucose and fasting blood glucose after induction (p<0.01). There was significant difference between group 2 and group 3, group 2 and group 4, and group 2 and group 5 (p<0.01). There was no significant difference between group 3 and group 4 (p>0.05) however, the percentage change in fasting blood glucose in group 3 and 4 after hypoglycaemic agents were administered were 34.9% and 29.9% respectively. There was a significant difference between group 5 and group 3, and group 5 and group 4 (p<0.01). The percentage change in fasting blood glucose of group 2, 3, 4, and 5 were 20.1%, -34.9%, -29.9% and -54.7% respectively. It is concluded that there is synergism between VA and glimepiride.