:: Volume 2, Issue 1 (Int J Mol Cell Med 2013) ::
Int J Mol Cell Med 2013, 2(1): 21-26 Back to browse issues page
Effect of Urtica dioica Leaf Alcoholic and Aqueous extracts on the Number and the Diameter of the Islets in Diabetic Rats
Durdi Qujeq 1, Mohsen Tatar2 , Farideh Feizi3 , Hadi Parsian4 , Alieh Sohan Faraji3 , Sohrab Halalkhor4
1- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center (CMBRC), Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. , dqujeq@hotmail.com
2- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
3- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
4- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center (CMBRC), Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
Abstract:   (19016 Views)
Preliminary studies revealed that Urtica dioica has been known as a plant that decrease blood glucose. Despite the importance of this plant in herbal medicine, relatively little research has been down on effects of this plant on islets yet. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of dried urtica dioica leaf alcoholic and aqueous extracts on the number and the diameter of the islets and histological parameters in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. Six rats were used in each group. Group I : Normal rats were administered saline daily for 8 weeks . Group II : Diabetic rats were administered streptozotocin, 50 mg/kg of body weight Group III : Diabetic rats were administered dried Urtica Dioica leaf aqueous extracts for 8 weeks Group IV: Diabetic rats were administered dried Urtica Dioica leaf alcoholic extracts for 8 weeks . The animals, groups of diabetic and normal, were sacrificed by ether anaesthesia. Whole pancreas was dissected. The tissue samples were formalin fixed and paraffin embedded for microscopic examination. Histologic examination and grading were carried out on hematoxylin-eosin stained sections. The effects of administration of dried Urtica Dioica leaf alcoholic and aqueous extracts to diabetic rats were determined by histopathologic examination. The pancreas from control rats showed normal pancreatic islets histoarchitecture. Our results also, indicate that the pancreas from diabetic rats show injury of pancreas tissue while the pancreas from diabetic rats treated with dried Urtica Dioica leaf alcoholic and aqueous extracts show slight to moderate rearrangement of islets. According to our findings, dried urtica dioica leaf alcoholic and aqueous extracts can cause a suitable repair of pancreatic tissue in streptozocin-induced diabetic experimental model.
Keywords: Diabetes, pancreas, urtica dioica, rat, alcoholic and aqueous extract
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Type of Study: Original Article | Subject: Clinical Biochemistry
Received: 2013/01/28 | Accepted: 2013/06/22 | Published: 2013/06/22


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