The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of astaxanthin supplementation on the expression of miR-146a and miR-126 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with chronic oxidative stress and inflammation. It is well known that the expression of some miRNAs such as miRNA-146a is upregulated in diabetic and hyperglycemic patients, whereas circulating miRNA-126 is reduced. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effects of astaxanthin (AST) supplementation on the circulating malondialdehyde (MDA) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels, and the expression of miR-146a and miR-126 in patients with T2DM.

METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 44 patients with T2DM randomly receiving 8 mg/day of oral AST (n=22) or placebo (n=22) for eight weeks.

RESULTS: We observed that AST supplementation could decrease plasma levels of MDA and IL-6 (P < 0.05) and decrease the expression level of miR-146a over time (fold change: -1/388) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: AST supplementation might be beneficial for improving circulating MDA and IL-6 and the down-regulation of miR-146a. However, future investigations are suggested to confirm these results.