Evaluation of Zinc Sulfate and Canagliflozin as Therapeutic Agents in a Type-2 Diabetes Rat Model

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) poses a growing global health concern due to increasing prevalence, leading to substantial economic burdens. While current therapeutic options control hyperglycemia, their side effects can reduce patient compliance. Canagliflozin, an SGLT-2 inhibitor and zinc supplementation have individually demonstrated potential in managing diabetes mellitus. Aims & Objectives: This study aimed to assess the synergistic effects of Zinc Sulphate and Canagliflozin in a combination therapy on a type-2 diabetic model of rats. Material & Methods: The study utilized a rat model, inducing type-2 diabetes through a high-fat diet and streptozotocin injection. Rats were divided into six groups: normal control, disease control, zinc-treated, canagliflozin-treated and two groups receiving combination therapy with different doses. Parameters such as fasting blood glucose and serum insulin were measured over an 8-week period. Results: Blood glucose and serum insulin levels were significantly altered in diabetic groups but showed improvement with zinc and canagliflozin treatment. HOMA-IR and HOMA-B changes in diabetic rats were mitigated with both agents individually and exhibited further improvement in combination therapy groups. Conclusion: The combination of zinc and canagliflozin demonstrated superior efficacy in improving blood glucose, insulin levels and Insulin resistance compared to individual treatments. This suggests a potential synergistic effect of the two agents in managing type-2 diabetes. Further studies are warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and potential clinical applications of this combination therapy. Key words: Zinc sulphate, Insulin, Canagliflozin, Diabetes.