Comparison of Effect of Losartan with Pioglitazone on β-Cell Function in a Rat Model of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Objective: To find out the effect of losartan in comparison with pioglitazone on β-Cell function in a type 2 diabetic rat model. Patients and Methods: This was a randomized control trial study and was carried out at Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI), Lahore from June to August 2011. In this study 45 Sprague-Dawley rats of 5 weeks of age were randomized into three groups. All the rats were fed with a high fat and sucrose diet. Pioglitazone or losartan were given along with this diet to the rats in-group HFD-PIO and HFD-LOS respectively, while group HFD was kept under control. Body weight and fasting blood glucose levels were determined weekly. At the end of 12 weeks, blood glucose and serum insulin levels were determined. A marker of β-cell function, HOMA-β, was also calculated. Results: At the end of study period, body weight, fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, and HOMA-β levels were significantly lower in the HFD-PIO and HFD-LOS groups as compared to the control HFD group. The difference in these parameters between the HFD-PIO and HFD-LOS groups was not significant. Conclusion: Losartan is significantly comparable to Pioglitazone in improving β-cell function