摘要
BACKGROUND： Urtica dioica extract has been shown to play a protective role in the neurodegeneration associated with diabetes mellitus. OBJECTIVE： To verify the neuroprotective efficacy of nettle extract on pyramidal cell density in the CA3 hippocampal subfield following administration of Urtica dioica extract to young diabetic rats. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A randomized, controlled, neurobiological study was performed at the Department of Histology and Embryology at the Gorgan University of Medical Sciences in Iran from 2006 to 2007. MATERIALS： Urtica dioica leaves were collected from a cultivated plant in the suburb of Gorgan （northem Iran） and taxonomically identified by the Department of Pharmacognosy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. METHODS： A total of 20 male, albino, Wistar rats, aged 6-7 postnatal weeks, were randomly assigned to four groups： normal control, diabetic model, preventive, and treatment, with five rats in each group. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （80 mg/kg） in the diabetic and treatment groups. Rats from the preventive group received a hydroalcoholic extract of Urtica dioica （100 mg/kg per day） during the first 5 days, and then streptozotocin （80 mg/kg） was administered on day 6. One week following the streptozotocin injection, rats in the treatment group were intraperitoneally administered hydroalcoholic extract of Urtica dioica （100 mg/kg per day） for 4 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Following administration of Urtica dioica extract, the dorsal hippocampal formation of the right cerebral hemispheres was stained with cresyl violet. Area densities of CA3 pyramidal cells were measured. RESULTS： The diabetic, preventive, and treatment groups exhibited reduced cell densities compared with the control group （P 〈 0.05）. Moreover, densities of CA3 pyramidal cells in the treatment group were significantly reduced compared with the diabetic model group （P 〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION： The Urtica dioica extract exhibited no significant neuroprotectJve benefits in diabetes-induced loss of pyramidal cells in the CA3 hippocampal subfields of young diabetic rats.
BACKGROUND： Urtica dioica extract has been shown to play a protective role in the neurodegeneration associated with diabetes mellitus. OBJECTIVE： To verify the neuroprotective efficacy of nettle extract on pyramidal cell density in the CA3 hippocampal subfield following administration of Urtica dioica extract to young diabetic rats. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A randomized, controlled, neurobiological study was performed at the Department of Histology and Embryology at the Gorgan University of Medical Sciences in Iran from 2006 to 2007. MATERIALS： Urtica dioica leaves were collected from a cultivated plant in the suburb of Gorgan （northem Iran） and taxonomically identified by the Department of Pharmacognosy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. METHODS： A total of 20 male, albino, Wistar rats, aged 6-7 postnatal weeks, were randomly assigned to four groups： normal control, diabetic model, preventive, and treatment, with five rats in each group. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （80 mg/kg） in the diabetic and treatment groups. Rats from the preventive group received a hydroalcoholic extract of Urtica dioica （100 mg/kg per day） during the first 5 days, and then streptozotocin （80 mg/kg） was administered on day 6. One week following the streptozotocin injection, rats in the treatment group were intraperitoneally administered hydroalcoholic extract of Urtica dioica （100 mg/kg per day） for 4 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Following administration of Urtica dioica extract, the dorsal hippocampal formation of the right cerebral hemispheres was stained with cresyl violet. Area densities of CA3 pyramidal cells were measured. RESULTS： The diabetic, preventive, and treatment groups exhibited reduced cell densities compared with the control group （P 〈 0.05）. Moreover, densities of CA3 pyramidal cells in the treatment group were significantly reduced compared with the diabetic model group （P 〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION： The Urtica dioica extract exhibited no significant neuroprotectJve benefits in diabetes-induced loss of pyramidal cells in the CA3 hippocampal subfields of young diabetic rats.
基金
a Research Grant from the Department of Research, Gorgan University of Medical Sciences
