Antidiabetic effect through islet cell protection in streptozotocin diabetes: a preliminary assessment of two thiazolidin-4-ones in Swiss albino mice.

This study was undertaken on the basis of several reports in the literature that pancreatic beta cells are capable of replication/regeneration and also being afforded protection against damage induced by streptozotocin. Nicotinamide was reported to give protection against streptozotocin-induced damage in rats. In the present study, two thiazolidine-4-ones with nicotinamide substitution were administered to Swiss albino mice with streptozotocin diabetes for 15 days.

Assessment of hypolipidaemic activity of three thiazolidin-4-ones in mice given high-fat diet and fructose.

Three 4-thiazolidinones, two with nicotinamide (NAT1 and NAT2) and one with 4-chlorophenoxyacetamide (PAT1) side chains were evaluated for their hypolipidaemic, hypoglycaemic activity in Swiss albino mice fed a high-fat diet along with fructose administered in drinking water. NAT1 and PAT caused reduction of elevated triglycerides, cholesterol and glucose; NAT2 was effective only against triglycerides. Nicotinamide side chain might have contributed to the lipid lowering effect of both NAT1 and NAT2, but the bulky group of the latter could have affected proper binding to the receptor sites, making it ineffective against elevated cholesterol.