Effects of 1 , 25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 on islet α cell and β cell in multiple low dose streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats

To study the prophylactic effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on α cell and β cell of pancreatic islet of diabetes rats induced by streptozotocin. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats were orally administrated with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 every day for 4 weeks. The incidence and Glucose AUC of diabetes in the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 group was much less than in STZ group, while insulin AUC in the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 group was larger than that in the STZ group. TNFα and BAX expression in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 group were declined in comparison with those in STZ group. Therefore, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 may prevent Sprague-Dawley rat from diabetes induced by streptozotocin probably through downregulating the expression TNFα and BAX, which may lead to enhance the islet apoptosis and hyperglycemia.