Improvement of intestinal barrier function, gut microbiota, and metabolic endotoxemia in type 2 diabetes rats by Curcumin

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is known as a complex genetic disease characterized by genetic and environmental factors. The imbalanced intestinal flora and intestinal mucosal barrier are considered to be related with T2DM. Curcumin has been proved to affect the progression of T2DM. T2DM Animal was established by Low dose streptozotocin intraperitoneal injection combined with high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) staining and transfer electron microscopy (TEM) were used to observe morphological changes of intestinal tissues of T2DM rats. Insulin and glucose tolerance tests were performed to investigate the influence of curcumin on blood glucose. Curcumin significantly improved the intestinal integrity, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in diabetic mice. The metabolic endotoxemia induced by HFD in diabetic rat was inhibited remarkably. Curcumin reversed gut microbiota dysbiosis in diabetic rat caused by HFD. We demonstrated that curcumin could protect intestinal mucosal barrier, improve insulin resistance and reduce blood glucose of diabetic mice. This study might provide experimental evidence for the prevention and treatment in T2DM.