Abstract: Objective To observe the effect of lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on insulin resistance and mRNA expression of adiponection gene in perirenal adipose tissue of type 2 diabetes mellitus (2-DM) rats.Methods The 2-DM model of rat was established by high-fat diet and streptozocin. The 2-DM model rats were randomly divided into the model group and high, middle and low doses of LBP groups with 10 animals in each group, another 10 rats were selected as the control group. The mRNA expression of adiponection gene in perirenal adipose tissue was determined by RT-PCR. The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS) and blood lipid total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were detected and insulin resistance index (IRI) was calculated after rats fed eight weeks.Results The mRNA expression of adiponection gene increased in the middle and high doses of LBP groups, while the levels of FBG, FINS, IRI, TC, TG and LDL decreased in different doses of LBP groups, significantly different from those in 2-DM model group.Conclusion LBP can improve the metabolism disorder of blood lipid and decrease insulin resistance by increasing mRNA expression of adiponection gene in 2-DM rats.

Key words: lycium barbarum polysaccharide, type 2 diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, adiponection gene