Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the effect of licorice flavonoids (LF) on GSK-3β protein expression in liver of type 2 diabetic rats.The type 2 diabetic rat model was replicated by high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) injection.The rats were divided into control group (CON),diabetic model group (DM),LF treatment group (LF),and positive control group (PC).Rats in different groups were administered with solvent (1,2-propanediol),licorice flavonoids ［300mg/(kg·d)］or pioglitazone ［10mg/(kg·d)］,respectively.The protein expression level of GSK-3β in liver was detected by Western blotting.The experimental results showed that the protein expression level of GSK-3β in DM group was significantly higher than that of the CON group (P<0.01),while its expression level in LF group and PC group significantly reduced (P<0.05) compared with CON group.These results suggested that licorice flavonoids can significantly decrease the protein expression level of GSK-3β in liver of T2DM rats.This might be one of the molecular mechanisms that LF ameliorated insulin resistance.

Key words: licorice flavonoids, type 2 diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, GSK-3&beta, protein expression level