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The effect of Urtica dioica extract on the number of astrocytes in the dentate gyrus of diabetic rats
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Abstract
A total of 21 male albino Wistar rats were used in the present study. The animals were divided into three groups: control, nettle-untreated diabetic, and nettle treated diabetic. Hyperglycaemia was induced by streptozotocin (80 mg/kg) in the animals of the diabetic and treatment groups. One week after injection of the streptozotocin, the animals in the treatment group received a hydroalcoholic extract of Urtica dioica (100 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks intraperitoneally. After a 5-week survival period, all the rats were sacrificed and coronal sections were taken from the dorsal hippocampal formation of the right cerebral hemispheres. The area densities of the astrocytes were measured and compared between the three groups (p < 0.05).
The number of astrocytes increased in the diabetic rats (24.06 ± 9.57) compared with the controls (17.52 ± 6.66). The densities in the treated rats (19.50 ± 6.16) were lower than in the diabetic rats. Furthermore, the control and treated rats showed similar densities.
We concluded that U. dioica extract helped compensate for astrocytes in the treatment rats dentate gyrus in comparison with diabetic rats.
Abstract
A total of 21 male albino Wistar rats were used in the present study. The animals were divided into three groups: control, nettle-untreated diabetic, and nettle treated diabetic. Hyperglycaemia was induced by streptozotocin (80 mg/kg) in the animals of the diabetic and treatment groups. One week after injection of the streptozotocin, the animals in the treatment group received a hydroalcoholic extract of Urtica dioica (100 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks intraperitoneally. After a 5-week survival period, all the rats were sacrificed and coronal sections were taken from the dorsal hippocampal formation of the right cerebral hemispheres. The area densities of the astrocytes were measured and compared between the three groups (p < 0.05).
The number of astrocytes increased in the diabetic rats (24.06 ± 9.57) compared with the controls (17.52 ± 6.66). The densities in the treated rats (19.50 ± 6.16) were lower than in the diabetic rats. Furthermore, the control and treated rats showed similar densities.
We concluded that U. dioica extract helped compensate for astrocytes in the treatment rats dentate gyrus in comparison with diabetic rats.
Keywords
diabetes; astrocyte; dentate gyrus; Urtica dioica
Title
The effect of Urtica dioica extract on the number of astrocytes in the dentate gyrus of diabetic rats
Journal
Issue
Article type
Original article
Pages
93-97
Published online
2009-02-25
Page views
1016
Article views/downloads
1831
Bibliographic record
Folia Morphol 2009;68(2):93-97.
Keywords
diabetes
astrocyte
dentate gyrus
Urtica dioica
Authors
M. Jahanshahi
M.J. Golalipour
M. Afshar