Ahmed  Abu-Zaiton, Fatima  Salem, 
    Evaluating the Effect of Vitamin D and Calcium on Glucose and Insulin Level of
Induced-Diabetic Rats,
    Research Journal of Biological Sciences,
    Volume 14,Issue 3,
    2019,
    Pages 61-65,
    ISSN 1815-8846,
    rjbsci.2019.61.65,
    (https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=rjbsci.2019.61.65)
    Abstract: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a major health concern all over the world. The number of affected people
is increasing every year. Many factors contribute to the disease including diet, genetics, lifestyle and so forth.
The disease is characterized by hyperglycemia because of insuffiency of the insulin producing beta cells of the
pancreas. There is need for alternatives to the conventional antidiabetic drugs to overcome their shortages
vitamin D and calcium intake are thought to protect against DM our research aims to evaluate the effect of
administration vitamin D, calcium and combination of both on glucose and insulin levels in diabetic rats.
Diabetes mellitus was induced intraperitoneally in male Wister albino rats by injection of alloxan (150 mgkg<sup>&#150;1</sup>
bw). Animals were divided into seven groups of eight rats each: group I served as normal control, group II act
as diabetic control. The diabetic rats treated groups (III, IV, V, VI and VII) were treated, respectively with
metformin at dose of 100 mgkg<sup>&#150;1</sup>, vitamin D<sub>3</sub> at dose of 12.5 &mu;gkg<sup>&#150;1</sup>, calcium gluconate at dose of 100 mgkg<sup>&#150;1</sup>
both vitamin D<sub>3</sub> and calcium gluconate and olive oil at dose of 0.3 mLkg<sup>&#150;1</sup> (serve as vehicle group). The
treatments were performed by oral administration once a day for 28 consecutive days. The results showed that
vitamin D<sub>3</sub> and vitamin D<sub>3</sub>-calcium combination lowers blood glucose level and calcium alone was not
statistically significant decreased glucose level. Supplementation with vitamin D<sub>3</sub> with or without calcium
increases insulin slightly when compared with normal control.
    Keywords: Vitamin D;Alloxan;Diabetic agent;pancreatic cells;lifestyle. parathyroid glands