Table 2 The effects of nitrate and nitrite on glucose and insulin homeostasis

Carlstrom, 2010 [41]

e-NOS deficient mice

Addition of NaNO₃ drinking water at a concentration of 85 mg/l for 8–10 weeks

↓ Fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin

↓ Pro-insulin to insulin ratio

Improved glucose tolerance test

Nystrom, 2012 [42]

Male wistar rats

Intraperitoneal injection of NaNO₂ or NaNO₃

↑ Plasma nitrite concentration

↑ Pancreatic islet blood flow without any effect on total pancreas blood flow

↑ Plasma insulin concentration without any effect on glycemia

↑ Insulin secretion from isolated rat islet in vitro under basal (5 mM glucose) but not under stimulatory (15 mM glucose) conditions

Sodium nitrate had no insulinotropic effects at either glucose concentration

Ohtake, 2015 [43]

KKA^y diabetic mice

Administration of NO2⁻ in drinking water at a dose of 50 and 150 mg/l for 10 weeks

↓ Glucose level and improve glucose tolerance test at dose of 150 mg/l

Improved insulin resistance, measured by HOMA-IR at both doses

↑ GLUT4 translocation in the cell membrane of skeletal muscle

Jiang, 2015 [44]

Db/db diabetic mice

Administration of 50 mg/l NaNO₂ for 4 weeks

↓ Fasting glucose concentration

↓ Insulin concentration, ↑ insulin sensitivity and insulin signaling

↑ GLUT4 translocation in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue in vitro at a dose of 10 and 100 μM

Khalifi, 2015 [45]

Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Administration of NaNO₃ in drinking water at a dose of 100 mg/l for 8 weeks

Restored serum nitrate/nitrite to normal values

Improved glucose tolerance