Introduction: Diabetes mellitus type 2 is a global health problem expanding at an alarming rate and putting individuals at high risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications. Life style modification and drugs intervention can help achieve normal glucose levels.

Aim &Objective: To compare the hypoglycemic activity of glimepiride and pioglitazone in a type 2 diabetes mellitus induced male mice model.

Place & Duration of study: This study was carried out in the animal house of National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad from 7th November 2013 till 21st January 2014.

Materials & Methods: Forty albino Balb/C male mice were divided randomly into groups I-IV (n=10). Group I served as normal control group. In rest of mice from group II-IV, type 2 diabetes mellitus was induced by administration of high fat diet (HFD) for two weeks followed by low dose (40 mg/kg) intra-peritoneal streptozotocin (STZ) injections for four consecutive days. Group II served as the disease control group. Group III received Glimepiride in a dose of 2mg/kg body wt. while group IV was administered Pioglitazone in a dose of 30mg/kg body wt. Both the drugs were given orally once a day. Samples were taken at the end of ten weeks.

Results: The blood samples estimated for fasting blood glucose (FBG) & glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c %) levels showed that both glimepiride and pioglitazone equally lowered the FBG and HbA1c% levels. However, pioglitazone lowered the FBG and HbA1c levels slightly more than Glimepride.

Conclusion: Glimepiride and pioglitazone lowered the FBG and HbA1c levels in type 2 diabetes induced male mice with the later having slightly more reduction than Glimepride.

Key words: Glimepiride, Pioglitazone, Streptozotocin, type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.