Introduction
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic diseases recognized by hyperglycemia due to insulin resistance and insufficient insulin secretion 1. Growing evidence indicated that chronic oxidative stress and inflammation closely involved in the pathogenesis of T2DM and the progression of related complications2,3. Systemic inflammation can affect β‐cell functionality and promote mitochondrial dysfunction that results in precedes T2D manifestations and predicts its progression4.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNA which are usually transcribed by RNA polymerase II 5. They modulate the gene expression level through their interaction by 3’UTR of the genes which is eventually lead to RNA degradation 6. The miRNAs expression is tissue‐specific, but they may be observed in the circulation 7. Previous studies detected the up regulation of some miRNAs such as miRNA-146a in diabetic and hyperglycemic patients whereas, circulating miRNA-126 are reduced8,9. In addition, participating of MicroRNAs in T2D pathogenesis is indicated through the decline of insulin release and an increase of pancreatic β‐cell apoptosis 10. So, from a clinical perspective, the levels of miR‐26a and miR‐146a can be evaluated in the circulation at different disease stages related to T2D11.
Recently, there has been significant interest in the potential role of food antioxidants in controlling lipid peroxidation, diabetes-induced inflammation and modulating microRNAs 12,13. Astaxanthin (AST) is a carotenoid belongs to the xanthophyll family and common pigment in algae and fish 14. Recent studies demonstrated the antioxidant effect of Astaxanthin on in the treatment and prevention of diabetes 15. However, few studies assessed the efficacy of AST on circulating miRNAs, and reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in diabetes patients. Therefore, this study was aimed to determinate the effects of AST supplementation on the expression of miR-146a and miR-126 , MDA and inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes.