ABSTRACT. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes accounts for up to 95% of all cases of diabetes mellitus. As a result, experimental models have garnered particular interest among researchers, as they allow for a better understanding of not only the causes of the development and progression of this condition but also the exploration of potential methods for prevention and treatment.
The aim of the study is to investigate the levels of chemical elements in the blood serum and liver of laboratory rats in an experimental model of type 2 diabetes.
Materials and methods. The study used male SHR line rats (n=40). For a duration of two weeks, the control group of animals received a standard diet, while the experimental group was fed a high-fat diet. On the 15th day, the animals in the experimental group were administered 35 mg/kg of streptozotocin in a citrate buffer via intraperitoneal injection to model type 2 diabetes, while the control group animals received 1 ml/kg of an isotonic NaCl solution. Subsequently, for five weeks, the control group continued to receive the standard diet, while the experimental group maintained the high-fat diet. At the end of the experiment, biological samples were collected from the laboratory animals to assess mineral metabolism indicators.
Results. In the animals of the experimental group, the glucose level was more than 16.7 mmol/L, indicating the development of a diabetic condition. In rats with type 2 diabetes, serum levels of copper and manganese were found to be significantly higher, contrasted with lower levels of chromium, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. In the liver, statistically significantly higher levels of calcium, copper, iron, manganese, selenium and zinc were observed. The analysis of iron chemical forms in the serum revealed the presence of three iron-containing fractions: ferritin, transferrin, and low molecular weight forms of iron. In the group of animals with type 2 diabetes, there was an observed increase in the ferritin fraction and low molecular weight forms of iron relative to the control group, alongside a decrease in the transferrin fraction.
Conclusions. Metabolic disorders in type 2 diabetes are associated not only with the total concentration of chemical elements in the serum but also with the redistribution of the pool of chemical elements, both among different ligands in the serum and between various organs in the body.
KEYWORDS: trace elements, iron, carbohydrate metabolism, rats, type 2 diabetes, streptozotocin.
For citation: Molchanov M.K., Notova S.V. Mineral metabolism disorders in type 2 diabetes (experimental study). Trace elemets in medicine. 2025;26(2):48-54. DOI: 10.19112/2413-6174-2025-26-2-48-54.
Information about the authors:
Maxim K. Molchanov – Doctor
Svetlana V. Notova – Dr.Sc. (Med.), Professor, Professor of the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology; ORCID: 0000-0002-6378-4522 ; SPIN: 1985-0298
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no obvious and potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article.