Anti-diabetic effects of Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus shells on non-obese type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats

We investigated the anti-diabetic effects of Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus (sea urchin, SU) shells on non-obese type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats. We measured body weight, blood glucose, and plasma insulin levels and conducted an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The SU shells (100 and 200 mg/kg) significantly reduced the blood glucose of GK rats from 203.8±29.8 mg/dL to 138.5±21.2 mg/dL at after 4 weeks of daily oral administration. However, plasma insulin levels at the same time were not changed by treatment with SU. During the OGTT, the SU-treated GK rats maintained a lower blood glucose level than the control group for 15 to 120 min. Based on these results, SU shells are considered to be effective in improving glucose tolerance. These results suggest that SU shells have unique properties to lower blood glucose, raise insulin sensitivity, and improve insulin resistance in GK rats.