Thioflavin T effect in diabetic Wistar rats: Reporting the antihyperglycemic property of an amyloid probing dye

Background thioflavin t (tht) is a well-known probe of amyloid fibrils with a benzothiazole core structure. as a compound with partial inhibitory effect on alpha-amylase,the results of oral tht administration were investigated on a streptozotocin (stz)-induced rat model of diabetes. methods stz was administered intraperitoneally for induction of diabetes. afterwards,doses of 2,8,16,and 32 mg/kg of tht were used in diabetic and non-diabetic rats. blood glucose levels,lipid profiles,alpha-amylase activity,food and water intake and urine volume were assessed. docking was also performed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of tht on alpha-amylase. results upon treatment with tht,blood glucose levels and lipid profile of diabetic rats improved significantly. furthermore,alpha-amylase serum levels of treated animals decreased compared to the control group,suggesting a possible effect of tht on this digestive enzyme. on the other hand,the food intake of treated animals showed a decrease. tht effects were also seen to some extent in the non-diabetic group. conclusion tht is suggested to be a potentially useful compound in treatment and prevention of diabetes and associated complications. © 2014 institute of pharmacology,polish academy of sciences.