The α-glucosidase inhibitor miglitol decreases glucose fluctuations and gene expression of inflammatory cytokines induced by hyperglycemia in peripheral leukocytes

Objective: Postprandial hyperglycemia is thought to cause inflammation in many tissues. In this study, we examined whether the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines/cytokine-like factors in peripheral leukocytes are altered by feeding streptozotocin-treated rats a diet containing an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, miglitol. Methods: Upregulated gene expression in peripheral leukocytes of streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic rats was determined by microarray analysis. We examined whether gene expression was altered by supplementing the diet with miglitol. Results: Microarray analysis revealed that gene expression of interleukin-1 beta and putative inflammatory cytokines, S100a4/6/8/9, was induced by streptozotocin treatment. Dietary supplementation with miglitol to the streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic rats for 20 d not only increased plasma concentrations of a marker for glucose fluctuations, 1,5-anhydroglucitol, the concentration of which is decreased by sustained or postprandial elevated blood glucose levels, but also suppressed the induction of interleukin-1 beta and S100a4/6/8/9 genes by hyperglycemia. Conclusion: These results suggest that miglitol inhibits the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines/cytokine-like factors in peripheral leukocytes by suppressing glucose fluctuations. (c) 2009 Published by Elsevier Inc.