Diabetes is regarded as an epidemiological threat for the twenty-first century. Phytochemicals with known pharmaceutical properties have gained interest in the field of alleviating secondary complications of diseases. Such a substance is crocin, a basic constituent of saffron (Crocus sativus). The present study aimed at examining the beneficial effects of per os crocin administration on the antioxidant status, blood biochemical profile, hepatic gene expression and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 activity (PAI-1) in the liver, kidney and plasma (an important marker of pre-diabetic status and major factor of thrombosis in diabetes) of healthy rats, as well as of rats with nicotinamide-streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Diabetes disrupted the oxidation-antioxidation balance, while crocin improved the antioxidant state in the liver by significantly affecting SOD1 gene expression and/or by restoring SOD and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels. In the kidney, crocin improved hydrogen peroxide decomposing activity and TAC. In blood, hepatic transaminases ALT and AST decreased significantly, while there was a trend of decrease regarding blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. The expression of PAI-1 gene was affected in the liver by the dose of 50 mg kg−1. Crocin treatment contributed in restoring some parameters after diabetes induction, primarily by affecting significantly hepatic transaminases ALT and AST, SOD1 and PAI-1 gene expression and nephric H2O2 decomposing activity. In conclusion, crocin did contribute to the alleviation of some complications of diabetes.

中文翻译：

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藏红花素对烟酰胺-链脲佐菌素诱导的糖尿病大鼠抗氧化基因表达、纤溶参数、氧化还原状态及血液生化的影响

糖尿病被认为是二十一世纪的流行病学威胁。具有已知药学特性的植物化学物质在减轻疾病继发性并发症的领域引起了人们的兴趣。这种物质是藏红花素，藏红花（Crocus sativus）的基本成分。本研究旨在检查 peros crocin 给药对肝脏、肾脏和血浆中抗氧化状态、血液生化特征、肝脏基因表达和纤溶酶原激活物抑制剂 1 活性 (PAI-1) 的有益影响（一种重要的标志物）。健康大鼠以及患有烟酰胺-链脲佐菌素诱导的糖尿病的大鼠的糖尿病前期状态和糖尿病血栓形成的主要因素。糖尿病破坏了氧化-抗氧化平衡，而藏红花素通过显着影响 SOD1 基因表达和/或通过恢复 SOD 和总抗氧化能力 (TAC) 水平来改善肝脏中的抗氧化状态。在肾脏中，藏红花素提高了过氧化氢分解活性和 TAC。血液中，肝转氨酶ALT和AST显着下降，而血尿素氮（BUN）水平有下降趋势。PAI-1 基因在肝脏中的表达受到 50 mg kg-1 剂量的影响。藏红花素治疗有助于在糖尿病诱导后恢复一些参数，主要是通过显着影响肝转氨酶 ALT 和 AST、SOD1 和 PAI-1 基因表达和肾 H2O2 分解活性。总之，藏红花素确实有助于减轻糖尿病的一些并发症。