Ginger Enhances Antioxidant Activity and Attenuates Atherogenesis in Diabetic Cholesterol-Fed Rats

Ginger effects on blood glucose, lipids, oxidative stress and early stages of atherogenesis in diabetic cholesterol fed rats were investigated in the present study. Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into three main groups of eight animals each. The animals of the first group were fed on a commercial pellet diet and served as control. Diabetes was induced in both second and third group of animals by intraperitoneal injection with one dose of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) and fed on the same pellet diet mixed with 0.5% cholesterol. The animals of the third group were daily administered by ginger (25 mg/kg body weight) using oral gavages. After six weeks of the experimental period, different blood lipid parameters, lipid peroxidation and anti-oxidant activities were analyzed in all groups. Samples of aorta were obtained to investigate the vascular wall changes using electron microscopy (EM) studies. The results revealed that ginger produced a decline in blood glucose and significant decrease of triglyceride levels, but could not restore the increase of cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels of diabetic cholesterol-fed rats. Ginger administration resulted in significant reduction in malondialdehyde concentration and significant elevation in total plasma antioxidant activity. Furthermore, EM studies revealed that ginger ameliorated the cellular changes of aortic wall induced in diabetic cholesterol-fed animals. The data of the present study indicated that antiatherogenic effect of ginger could be attributed to its vital role in regulation of per-oxidation process, antioxidant activity and inhibition of monocyte migration and interaction accompanied with endothelial dysfunction.