Research Article

Does Filgrastim, a Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor, Potentiate the Glycemic Effect of Glimepiride? Evidence from an HFD/STZ Rat Model

Abstract

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic inflammatory metabolic disorder. Glimepiride, a sulfonylurea, has been separately reported to have anti-inflammatory properties. At the same time, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (Filgrastim) has been proposed to modulate inflammatory pathways relevant to glucose homeostasis. Whether combining Filgrastim with glimepiride confers additional glycemic benefit over glimepiride alone has not been established. Aim: To evaluate and compare the glycemic effects of glimepiride, Filgrastim, and their combination in a rat model of type 2 diabetes. Methods: Twenty-five adult male albino rats were assigned to five groups (n=5): normal control, untreated DM, glimepiride (0.5 mg/kg oral), Filgrastim (70 μg/kg subcutaneous), and glimepiride+Filgrastim. T2DM was induced by two weeks of high-fat diet followed by a single low dose of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg i.p.). Treatments were given for 28 days. Endpoints were fasting blood glucose (FBG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c); group differences were evaluated by one-way ANOVA with post hoc tests. Results: All HFD/STZ groups developed hyperglycemia and elevated HbA1c versus normal controls. Compared with untreated T2DM, glimepiride monotherapy and the glimepiride+Filgrastim combination produced significant reductions in FBG and HbA1c. Filgrastim alone did not significantly alter either glycemic measure. Although the combination group showed numerically lower FBG and HbA1c than glimepiride alone, the difference was not statistically significant. The study did not measure inflammatory mediators, limiting conclusions about mechanisms. Conclusion: In summary, glimepiride improved glycemic control in this rat DM model; Filgrastim alone had no glucose-lowering effect at the tested dose and duration. Adding Filgrastim produced only a non-significant numeric improvement over glimepiride, providing limited support for an inflammation-mediated synergistic benefit and highlighting the need for direct measurement of inflammatory markers in future work.

Authors affiliation:

Huda Mohamed Gargoum (ORCID): Department of Pharmacology, Benghazi University, Benghazi, Libya.
Kadija Ramadan Alsharee (ORCID): Benghazi Medical Center, Benghazi, Libya.

How To Cite: H.M. Gargoum, and K.R. Alsharee. Does Filgrastim, a Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor, Potentiate the Glycemic Effect of Glimepiride? Evidence from an HFD/STZ Rat Model. Healthcare Studies, 4(2):53–59, 2026. https://doi.org/10.58612/hs428