Proliferation of the β-Cells of Pancreas in Diabetic Rats Treated with Urtica Dioica Proliferación de las Células β del Páncreas en Ratas Diabéticas Tratadas con Urtica Dioica

This investigation was carried out to evaluate the effect of the extract of Urtica dioica leaves on hyperglycemia and quantitative changes of β-cells in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Forty male Wistar rats were allocated in groups of normal, diabetic, treatment and protective. Hyperglycemia induced by administrating one dose of 80 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneally. Animals in treatment group received Urtica dioica (100 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks intraperitoneally, one week after injection of STZ. In protective group animals received U. dioica (100 mg/kg/day) for 5 days before inducing diabetes. After five weeks the animals were sacrificed and whole pancreas removed. Pancreas specimens were used for quantitative morphometric analysis after Chromealum hematoxiline phloxine staining. The mean ± SE of β-cells in non hyperglycemic animals in protective group was higher than in hyperglycemic animals in the same group (54.33 ± 2.4 versus 1.25 ± 0.5, P<0.05). Hyperglycemia was improved in 6 (60%) of rats in protective group and 1 (10%) rat in treatment group OR=0.07 (CI 95%: 0.0-1.1, p=0.06). The logistic regression analysis showed an association between decrease of blood glucose, increase of number of b-cells and administration of Urtica before induction of diabetes. This study showed proliferation of b-cells when of the U. dioica leaves extract (100 mg/kg/day) administrated before induction of diabetes in animal model.