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Journals / Sakarya Tıp Dergisi / 2026 / Volume: 16 Issue: 1

The Effects of Diabetes on the Muscular System and Potential Benefits of Vitamin E: An Experimental Rat Model

Diyabetin Kas Sistemi Üzerindeki Etkileri ve Vitamin E’nin Olası Faydaları: Deneysel Bir Sıçan Modeli

Sevtap Kılınç(BASKENT UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE)0000-0002-4162-1554
Melisa Bilaloğlu(BASKENT UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF MEDICINE)0000-0002-9994-9405
Pages
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Publication Date
2026-03-28
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

These findings suggest that vitamin E may have a supportive role in preventing diabetes-induced muscle dysfunction.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Objective: Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem associated with numerous complications.
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Key Findings & Data:Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 45 mg/kg), and rats with blood glucose levels ≥250 mg/dL were considered diabetic.
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Conclusion & Impact:These findings suggest that vitamin E may have a supportive role in preventing diabetes-induced muscle dysfunction.
🔬Design:Research Article
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Diabetes · Muscle physiology · Vitamin E

Abstract

Objective: Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem associated with numerous complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential protective effects of vitamin E in diabetic myopathy. Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar albino rats were divided into three groups: control, diabetes, and diabetes + vitamin E (DE). Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 45 mg/kg), and rats with blood glucose levels ≥250 mg/dL were considered diabetic. Blood glucose levels were measured three days after STZ administration. Following the induction of diabetes, the DE group received oral vitamin E at a dose of 250 mg/kg/day for three weeks. Muscle function was assessed using the inverted screen test and in situ muscle contraction analysis. Results: At baseline, there were no significant differences among the groups in terms of body weight or blood glucose levels. At the end of the experiment, a significant decrease in body weight was observed in the DE group compared with the control group (p = 0.005). Blood glucose levels were significantly elevated in the diabetes group compared with the control group (p < 0.001) and remained significantly high in the vitamin E–treated group (p < 0.001). In the inverted screen test, muscle endurance was significantly reduced in the diabetes group (p < 0.001), whereas vitamin E treatment significantly improved this reduction (p = 0.001). The increased muscle contraction threshold observed in the diabetes group (p = 0.002) was significantly reduced by vitamin E administration (p = 0.003). Although no significant difference in tetanic contractions was found between the control and diabetes groups (p = 0.072), vitamin E treatment significantly increased muscle endurance compared with the diabetes group (p = 0.026). Conclusions: Diabetes adversely affects muscle strength and neuromuscular transmission, while vitamin E treatment partially ameliorates these impairments. These findings suggest that vitamin E may have a supportive role in preventing diabetes-induced muscle dysfunction.

Özet

Amaç: Diyabet, çok sayıda komplikasyonu ile önemli bir halk sağlığı sorunudur. Bu çalışmada, diyabetik miyopatide E vitamininin olası koruyucu etkilerinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Yöntemler: Çalışmada 24 erkek Wistar albino sıçan kontrol, diyabet ve diyabet + E vitamini (DE) olmak üzere üç gruba ayrıldı. Diyabet, tek doz 45 mg/kg streptozotosin (STZ) enjeksiyonu ile oluşturuldu ve kan glukozu ≥250 mg/dL olan sıçanlar diyabetik kabul edildi. STZ uygulamasından 3 gün sonra kan glukoz düzeyleri ölçüldü. DE grubuna, diyabet oluşturulduktan sonra 3 hafta boyunca 250 mg/kg/gün oral E vitamini verildi. Kas fonksiyonları ters ekran testi ve in-situ kas kasılma analizi ile değerlendirildi. Bulgular: Çalışmanın başlangıcında gruplar arasında vücut ağırlığı ve kan glukoz düzeyleri açısından anlamlı fark yoktu. Deney sonunda, DE grubunda kontrol grubuna kıyasla vücut ağırlığında anlamlı azalma gözlendi (p=0.005). Diyabet grubunda kan glukoz düzeyleri kontrol grubuna göre anlamlı olarak artarken (p<0.001), E vitamini uygulanan grupta da yüksek seyretmeye devam etti (p<0.001). Ters ekran testinde diyabet grubunda kas dayanıklılığı azalırken (p<0.001), E vitamini uygulaması bu azalmayı anlamlı düzeyde iyileştirdi (p=0.001). Diyabet grubunda artan kas kasılma eşiği (p=0.002), E vitamini ile anlamlı şekilde azaldı (p=0.003). Tetani ölçümlerinde kontrol ve diyabet grupları arasında fark saptanmazken (p=0.072), E vitamini uygulaması diyabet grubuna kıyasla kas dayanıklılığını artırdı (p=0.026). Sonuçlar: Diyabetin kas gücü ve nöromüsküler iletim üzerinde olumsuz etkiler oluşturduğu, E vitamini tedavisinin ise bu bozulmaları kısmen düzelttiği görülmüştür. Bu bulgular, E vitamininin diyabete bağlı kas fonksiyon bozukluklarının önlenmesinde destekleyici olabileceğini düşündürmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Kılınç, S., Bilaloğlu, M. (2026). The Effects of Diabetes on the Muscular System and Potential Benefits of Vitamin E: An Experimental Rat Model. Sakarya Tıp Dergisi, Volume: 16 Issue: 1. https://doi.org/10.31832/smj.1773555

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