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. 2014 Dec 31:3:258.
doi: 10.4103/2277-9175.148230. eCollection 2014.

The effect of pulp and seed extract of Citrullus Colocynthis, as an antidaibetic medicinal herb, on hepatocytes glycogen stores in diabetic rabbits

Hajar Shafaei  1 , Jafar Soleimani Rad  1 , Abbas Delazar  2 , Mohaddeseh Behjati  3
Affiliations

The effect of pulp and seed extract of Citrullus Colocynthis, as an antidaibetic medicinal herb, on hepatocytes glycogen stores in diabetic rabbits

Hajar Shafaei et al. Adv Biomed Res. .

Abstract

Background: Medicinal herbs such as Citrullus Colocynthis (C.C) have been used traditionally in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. However therapeutic applications and adverse effects of C.C and its natural variants are not determined well. The current work investigates the effects of pulp and seed extract of C.C on hepatocyte's glycogen stores.

Materials and methods: Thirty six male rabbits were divided into six groups (control and diabetic) randomly. Alloxan was used in order to induce diabetes mellitus in animals. Among 5 diabetic groups, one remained as control and the rest received 100 and 200 mg/kg/day of either pulp or seed extract. One month later, animals were sacrificed and their liver specimen fixed in 10% Formalin was stained with periodic acid schiff (PAS) for light microscopic scanning.

Results: PAS staining of hepatocytes revealed large amounts of glycogen stores in diabetic animals treated with pulp and seed extracts of C.C, contrary with non-treated diabetic rabbits. Sites of glycogen deposition were also different in animals treated with seed extract (P < 0.0001). No hepatic congestion was seen in treated animals. Dose escalation has no effect on the obtained results.

Conclusions: The anti-diabetic effects of C.C can be explained by its effects on accumulation of glycogen stores in hepatocytes. The importance of varied sites of glycogen deposition by the application of C.C needs to be determined.

Keywords: Citrullus Colocynthis; diabetes mellitus; glycogen stores.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Photomicrograph of the liver of control rabbits. Hepatocytes were full of glycogen. CV; central vein, PS; Portal space. PAS staining. ×330
Figure 2
Figure 2
Photomicrograph of liver section of control rabbit. Glycogen granules (arrow) in hepatocytes (H) stained with PAS. ×1650
Figure 3
Figure 3
Photomicrograph of the liver of diabetic control rabbit. There were on glycogen in some of hepatocytes (arrow). CV; central vein, PS; Portal space. PAS staining. ×330
Figure 4
Figure 4
Photomicrograph of liver section of diabetic rabbit. There was no glycogen in hepatocyte (arrow). PAS staining. ×1650
Figure 5
Figure 5
Photomicrograph of liver section of diabetic rabbit after treatment with pulp extract of citrullus colocynthis (100 mg/kg/day). Glycogen deposited in all hepatocytes again. Congestion in central vein (arrow). CV; central vein, PS; Portal space. PAS staining. ×330
Figure 6
Figure 6
Photomicrograph of liver section of diabetic rabbit after treatment with pulp extract of citrullus colocynthis (100 mg/kg/day). Glycogen filled hepatocytes. S; sinusoid PAS staining. ×165
Figure 7
Figure 7
Photomicrograph of liver section of diabetic rabbit after treatment with seed extract of Citrullus Colocynthis (100 mg/kg/day). Peripheral hepatocytes of hepatic lobule lost glycogen more than central hepatocytes around central vein (CV). PS; Portal space. PAS staining. ×330
Figure 8
Figure 8
Photomicrograph of liver section of diabetic rabbit after treatment with seed extract of Citrullus Colocynthis (100 mg/kg/day). Histologic structure is the same as control. CV; central vein, S; sinusoid. PAS staining. ×1650
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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