An investigation on the effects of a rhenium (V) compound with uracil-derived ligands on markers associated with hepatic, cardiovascular and renal complications in diet-induced prediabetic rats.

Abstract

Prediabetes is a metabolic disorder that often precedes the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This development of this asymptomatic condition is associated with chronic consumption of high calorie diets and sedentary lifestyles. Prediabetes results in decreased insulin sensitivity in the peripheral tissues resulting in elevated blood glucose levels that are not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. This moderate hyperglycaemia has been shown to lead to trigger complications such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, renal dysfunction and cardiovascular disease which are generally only diagnosed during type 2 diabetes. The current management strategy for prediabetes consists of a combination of pharmacological and lifestyle intervention. The pharmacological agents such as metformin while lifestyle intervention involves dietary modification to lower calorie diets. Studies show that prediabetic patients tend to be more dependent pharmacological intervention and struggle with changing diets thus lowering the efficacy of drugs such as metformin. This often leads to the eventual development of prediabetes. Therefore, there is a need for new pharmacological agents that can remain effective in both the presence and absence of dietary intervention. In our laboratory we have synthesised a novel rhenium (v) compound with uracil-derived ligands that has shown promising biological activities that include anti-hyperglycaemic effects in diet-induced prediabetic rats. This compound was shown to improve insulin sensitivity in peripheral tissues in prediabetic rats. To advance from this knowledge, this study sought to investigate the effects of the rhenium (V) compound with uracil-derived ligands on markers associated with hepatic, cardiovascular and renal complications in diet induced prediabetic rats model.