Abstract: To explore the effects of pioglitazone on the plasma ghrelin levels and the ghrelin mRNA expression in the stomach of type 2 diabetic rats. MethodsWistar rats were fed with a high fat diet for 8 weeks and then treated with a low dose of STZ(30mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection to establish type 2 diabetic rat models, then they were divided into three groups: the control group(NC, n=10), the diabetes group(DM, n=12) and the pioglitazone treatment group(DM-PIO, n=12). Rats in the DM-PIO group were treated with pioglitazone(20mg·kg^-1·d^-1) by intra-gastric administration. All the animals were sacrificed 8 weeks later. The blood glucose, lipids, insulin, leptin and ghrelin were determined, and the ghrelin mRNA expression in the stomach was determined by RT-PCR. ResultsThe DM and DM-PIO groups had significant reduced plasma levels of ghrelin and mRNA expression levels in the stomach compared with the NC rats (P＜0.05 for each group). Plasma ghrelin and mRNA expression levels were higher in the DM-PIO rats than in the DM rats, which was not significant (P＞0.05). By the correlation analysis, plasma ghrelin levels were negatively correlated with body weight (P＜0.05), HOMAIR (P＜0.01) and leptin P＜0.05) in diabetic rats. ConclusionThe plasma ghrelin levels and the expression of ghrelin in diabetic rats are significantly reduced. Pioglitazone can not change the plasma levels of ghrelin and its expression in the stomach.

Key words: Diabetes mellitus, type 2, Ghrelin, Insulin, Leptin, Pioglitazone, Rats, inbred