INSULIN PROFILING AND HISTO-PANCREATIC ARCHITECTURE IN STZ–INDUCED DIABETES MELLITUS RATS’ MODEL TREATED WITH MISTLETOE AND DRUM-STICK AQUEOUS LEAF EXTRACTS

Adeeyo Olusola Atilade, *Dare Babatunde Joseph, Yusuf Uthman Ademola, Okeniran Olatayo Segun, Ebiwonjumi Adetunji Segun and Ojo Waliu Adetunji

ABSTRACT

Reports showed that antioxidants protect against disabling effects of Diabetes mellitus by mopping up free oxygen and superoxide radicals. The study is therefore aimed at investigating some ameliorative effects of Mistletoe and Drum-stick leaf extracts on STZ–induced Diabetes mellitus on the pancreatic histo-architecture and insulin profile. Fifty four (54) Wistar rats of both sexes were selected randomly into six (6) groups (G1-G6) of nine (9) animals each. The animals were acclimatized for period of two (2) weeks. Hyperglycemia was induced in twenty seven (27) overnight-fasted randomly selected rats by a single intraperitoneal administration of Streptozotocin at 70 mg/kg bw. G1 treated with 0.1 ml of phosphate buffer saline, G2 diabetic treated with Mistletoe leaf extracts only, G3 diabetic treated with Moringa leaf extracts only, G4 diabetic without treatment, G5 normoglycemic treated with Mistletoe leaf extracts only, G6 normoglycemic treated with Moringa leaf extracts only. Administration was done for six (6) weeks, animals were sacrificed by euthanasia and pancreas was harvested, fixed in 10% formol saline for H/E, Masson’s Trichrome and Von Giessen stains. A portion of pancreas was homogenized in phosphate buffer solution for estimation of pancreatic insulin concentrations using Mercodia ultra-sensitive rat insulin Elisa kit (Mercodia, Uppsala, Sweden). Mistletoe (105.22± 4.22 mg/dl) and Drum-stick (94.33± 5.62 mg/dl) significantly lowered blood glucose levels, increase in body weight and relative pancreatic weight were observed relative to the untreated diabetic rats. The Pancreatic Insulin levels of Mistletoe (3.4±0.186 μg/L) and Drum-stick (3.5±0.088 μg/L) treated hyperglycemic groups were not significantly different from normal control (3.8±0.25 μg/L) P>0.05. The pancreatic histo-architecture was maintained in the pancreatic islet of Drum-stick treated group with improved vascularization, increase in β cell mass. Elastic fibers were extensively deposited in the acini of untreated diabetic group. Thus aqueous leaf extracts of Mistletoe and Moringa maintained pancreatic islet morphology and insulin profiling.

Keywords: hyperglycemia, Anti-diabetics, Antioxidants, Leaf Extracts, Pancreas and Wistar rats.