Silymarin reduces hyperinsulinemia, malondialdehyde levels, and daily insulin need in cirrhotic diabetic patients

Abstract The subjects were 60 patients (42 men), aged 45 to 70 years, with diabetes caused by alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Each patient was receiving insulin and demonstrated elevated endogenous insulin secretion. The patients were randomly assigned to receive 600 mg of silymarin daily or no silymarin for 6 months. In the silymarin-treated patients, at 6 months, mean levels of fasting blood glucose, daily blood glucose, daily glycosuria, glycosylated hemoglobin, daily insulin need, fasting insulinemia, blood malondialdehyde, and basal and glucagon-stimulated C peptide were all significantly lower than in the untreated patients and lower than at baseline. The results indicate that silymarin can reduce lipoperoxidation of liver cell membranes in cirrhotic diabetic patients, and decrease endogenous production of insulin and the need for exogenous insulin, probably by restoring the plasma membrane of liver cells and increasing the sensitivity of the insulin receptors.