METHODS: Twenty-four male albino rats were randomly divided into four groups with six in each group by simple random sampling method. Group 1 as control rats; Group 2 as STZ induced diabetic rats; Group 3 as diabetic rats treated with avocado fruit extract (AFE), 300 mg/kg as aqueous suspension orally for 30 days; Group 4 as diabetic rats treated with gliclazide (5 mg/kg) in aqueous solution orally for 30 days. The rats were fasted overnight and sacrificed by cervical dislocation and the blood was collected for various biochemical analysis and excision of hepatic and kidney were done for histological analysis. Levels of fasting blood glucose, plasma insulin and glycosylated hemoglobin were estimated. The activities of key enzymes in carbohydrate metabolism such as hexokinase, pyruvate kinase, glucose-6- phosphatase, fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glycogen synthase and glycogen phosphorylase were assayed by standard methods described in the methodology.
RESULTS: Oral administration of AFE significantly improved the altered levels of blood glucose, plasma insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin, and modulated the activities of carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes (P<0.05, respectively). The glycogen content in hepatic tissues was significantly increased in diabetic rats treated with AFE (P<0.05, respectively).
CONCLUSION: AFE plays a pivotal role to maintain normoglycemia in diabetes by modulating the activities of carbohydrate metabolic enzymes.
METHODS: Twenty-four male albino rats were randomly divided into four groups with six rats in each group: group I as control, group II fed with hypercholesterolemic diet (HCD) for 45 days (4% cholesterol and 1% cholic acid), Group III rats fed with HCD for 45 days + AEFM (300 mg/kg body weight/day orally) for last 30 days and group IV normal rats fed AEFM alone. The blood was collected using ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as an anticoagulant for various biochemical analysis, and excision of kidney was done for histological analysis.
RESULTS: The levels of total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), phospholipids (PLs), renal functional parameters and lipid peroxidation products were markedly mitigated in AEFM treated hypercholesterolemic rats (group III) compared to group I (P<0.01). Activities of both enzymic and non-enzymic free radical scavenging factors were significantly increased in group III compared to group I (P<0.01). In group III the mRNA levels of interstitial endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) genes were obviously up-regulated (P<0.01) and down-regulated in (P<0.05) compared with group I. Histomorphological observations also exhibited similar as in group III AEFM commendably protects the renal tissues compared with group I (P<0.01).
CONCLUSION: AEFM can act as nephroprotective agent by attenuating the renal oxidative stress, lipid levels as well as regulating NOS level and by this means protects the kidney in hypercholesterolemic induced nephropathy experimental rats.