EXAGGERATION OF TYPE 2 DIABETES DUE TO CAFFEINE-NICOTINE CO-ADMINISTRATION: A STUDY IN RATS

Objective: This study evaluated the toxic effect of simultaneously injected normal doses of caffeine and nicotine in diabetic lab animals. Methods: A study was conducted for three weeks in seven rat groups (n=6); viz. first non-diabetic group treated with caffeine (20 mg/kg, ip) twice daily, second with nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, ip) twice daily and third with both treatments simultaneously; whereas other three groups treated in the same way but inducing diabetes; and employing the seventh group as diabetic control. Type 2 diabetes was induced by high fatty diet prior for two weeks and a single streptozotocin injection on 1 th day of study in all diabetic groups. Blood and urine samples were collected weekly to estimate blood parameters. Animals were sacrificed, and organs were collected for histopathology analysis. Results: Most blood parameters showed a rapid increase in diabetes in co-addiction group compared with their single addiction or non-addiction control groups. Caffeine-nicotine co-addiction group showed about 60-80 mg/dl (p<0.05) rise in serum glucose, 15-20 U/l in AST (p<0.01), 80-100 U/l in ALT (p<0.01), 20-30 mg/dl in Urea (p<0.01), 02 mg/dl in creatinine (p<0.05), 12-15 mg/dl (p<0.01) in LDL-C, 6-9 mg/dl in VLDL-C (p<0.01) and 60-90 mg/dl in TC levels (p<0.01) when compared with non-addicted diabetic control. There was a significant reduction in HDL-C (p<0.01) while the less significant rise in triglycerides in the case of co-addiction as compared to non-addiction diabetic control group. Histopathology results exhibited moderate to severe tissue damage in agreement with clinical biochemistry results. Conclusion: Nicotine-caffeine co-addiction harms exceptionally more in type 2 diabetes greater than their single addiction or non-addiction.