THE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF CANNABIDIOL AGAINST THE HYPERGLYCEMIA OF THE STREPTOZOCIN-INDUCED DIABETES ARE THROUGH SUPPRESSION OF INFLAMMATION AND APOPTOSIS AND ENHANCEMENT OF b-CELL REPLICATION IN THE ADULT ALBINO RAT
Noura M.S. Osman & Samah Shabana1&2
Department of Human Anatomy& Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, El Minia, Egypt
1Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th October City, Egypt
2Department of Pharmacognosy, Pharmacy Program, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive component of the Cannabis Sativa plant and has anti-inflammatory properties. This study was held to evaluate the effects of CBD on mild diabetes induced by the administration of low doses of streptozocin (STZ) in rats. Fifty male adult albino rats were divided into: Group I: Normal control; Group II: Diabetic control& Group III: Diabetic +CBD (CBD was used in a dose of 20 mg/kg orally daily for 28 days). At the end of the experiment the results showed that the serum fasting glucose and insulin levels were normal in the Diabetic +CBD group. Histological examination revealed that CBD-treatment retains the normal islet architecture after STZ administration. Apoptotic cells were significantly lower in the islets of the Diabetic +CBD group compared to the Diabetic one as revealed by TUNEL reaction. Indicators of inflammation were lower in the Diabetic +CBD group than that of the Diabetic control one as shown by the lower number of Mac-2 immune-positive macrophages infiltrating the islets and the significantly lower IFN-γ &TNF-α protein levels as observed by western blot analysis in the pancreas of Diabetic +CBD group. Restoration of the β- cell mass was observed and was proved to be a simple replication of the existing β-cells as indicated by double immunohistochemistry which showed the presence of larger number of cells that co-exist both Ki-67 (proliferation marker) and insulin (β-cell marker) in the islets of the Diabetic+ CBD group. This study found that CBD possesses an anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and pro- β-cell replicative properties.
December 2015