Abstract: To study the effect of theaflavins on insulin receptor in insulin-resistant rats, fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group, high fat diet group and three dosed theaflavins groups, high rats of fat diet group and three dosed theaflavins groups were fed with high lipid diet for 8 weeks and then those of theaflavins groups were fed theaflavins of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 g/(kg bw·d) respectively for other 8 weeks. The blood serum was collected to measure insulin receptor level of red blood cell, blood glucose, free fatty acid, blood insulin and blood leptin. As compared to control group, the blood insulin, leptin and FFA of high fat diet group were higher than those of normal control group (P<0.05), but the number of insulin receptor was lower than that of control group (P<0.05). As compared to high fat diet group, the blood insulin, leptin and FFA of the middle and high dose theaflavins groups were obvious lower (P<0.05), the level of insulin receptor of red blood cell was higher obviously(P<0.05). It is considered that theaflavins can upregulate insulin receptor in insulin-resistant rats, the mechanism may relate to its down regulating blood FFA and leptin or the influence on gene regulator unit directly of receptor.

Key words: theaflavins, insulin resistance, insulin receptor