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. 2020 May 29;25(11):2541.
doi: 10.3390/molecules25112541.

SIRT1 Activation by Equisetum Arvense L. (Horsetail) Modulates Insulin Sensitivity in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats

Csaba Hegedűs  1 , Mariana Muresan  2 , Andrea Badale  1 , Mariann Bombicz  1 , Balázs Varga  1 , Anna Szilágyi  1 , Dávid Sinka  3 , Ildikó Bácskay  3 , Mihaela Popoviciu  4 , Ioan Magyar  2 , Mária Magdolna Szarvas  5 , Erzsébet Szőllősi  5 , József Németh  1 , Zoltán Szilvássy  1 , Annamaria Pallag  6 , Rita Kiss  1
Affiliations

SIRT1 Activation by Equisetum Arvense L. (Horsetail) Modulates Insulin Sensitivity in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats

Csaba Hegedűs et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Background: Equisetum arvense L., commonly known as field horsetail is a perennial fern of which extracts are rich sources of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Activation of SIRT1 that was shown to be involved in well-known signal pathways of diabetic cardiomyopathy has a protective effect against oxidative stress, inflammatory processes, and apoptosis that are the basis of diseases such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, or cardiovascular diseases. The aim of our study was to evaluate the antidiabetic and cardioprotective effects of horsetail extract in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

Methods: Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of 45 mg/kg streptozotocin. In the control groups (healthy and diabetic), rats were administered with vehicle, whilst in the treated groups, animals were administered with 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg horsetail extract, respectively, for six weeks. Blood glucose levels, glucose tolerance, and insulin sensitivity were determined, and SIRT1 levels were measured from the cardiac muscle.

Results: The horsetail extract showed moderate beneficial changes in blood glucose levels and exhibited a tendency to elevate SIRT1 levels in cardiomyocytes, furthermore a 100 mg/kg dose also improved insulin sensitivity.

Conclusions: Altogether our results suggest that horsetail extract might have potential in ameliorating manifested cardiomyopathy acting on SIRT1.

Keywords: Equisetum arvense L.; SIRT1; diabetes mellitus; diabetic cardiomyopathy; insulin resistance; streptozotocin.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Equisetum arvense L. main stem cross section (100×): 1—chlorenchyma; 2—assimilated palisade parenchyma; 3—aeriferous areas in the ground tissue, known as vallecular canals; 4—vascular bundles; 5—cortical parenchyma; 6—pith cavity.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Equisetum arvense L. stem ramification cross section (100×). 1—silicified chlorenchyma; 2—palisade parenchyma; 3—leading bundle.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) chromatograms of the extract of horsetail extract at 350 nm. Confirmed by standard.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effect of horsetail on body weight. For clearer representability the symbols showing statistically significant differences are listed in Table 2. In Figure 4 and Table 2 the experimental groups names were abbreviated, as follows: healthy control (HC), diabetic control (DC), 50HT (animals treated with 50 mg/kg horsetail extract), 100HT (animals treated with 50 mg/kg horsetail extract) and 200HT (animals treated with 50 mg/kg horsetail extract).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Effect of horsetail on blood glucose. From day 1, all groups showed a significant difference from the HC group (p < 0.001). For clearer representability it is not shown with symbols. The #, ##, and ### indicates significant difference from the DC group (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001, respectively).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Effect of horsetail on blood glucose levels (A) and area under the glucose curve (B) during oral glucose tolerance test. The * and *** indicates significant difference from the HC group (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). The # and ### indicates significant difference from the DC group (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). The §§ indicates significant difference between the connected groups (p < 0.01).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Effect of horsetail on blood glucose levels (A) and area under the glucose curve (B) during insulin tolerance test. The *, **, and *** indicates significant difference from the HC group (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001, respectively). The # indicates significant difference from the DC group (p < 0.05).
Figure 8
Figure 8
Effect of horsetail on fasting plasma insulin. The * and ** indicates significant difference from HC group (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively).
Figure 9
Figure 9
Effect of horsetail on adiposity. The *** indicates significant difference from the HC group (p < 0.001).
Figure 10
Figure 10
Effect of horsetail on heart weight index. The * and *** indicates significant difference from the HC group (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively).
Figure 11
Figure 11
Effect of horsetail on SIRT1 protein expression in left ventricle cardiac tissue. The *, **, and *** indicates significant difference from HC group (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001, respectively).
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References

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