Abstract
Diabetes mellitus has developed into one of the debilitating diseases disturbing the health of many people living with cardiovascular diseases in modern times. The root of Ageratum conyzoides was investigated for its effects on alloxan-induced diabetic Wistar rats' cardiac tissues. Thirty-two (32) Wistar rats weighing between 180 and 190 g were randomly divided into four groups. The animals in groups B-D were induced with a single dose of 150 mg/kg body weight of alloxan (ALX) intraperitoneally. They were confirmed hyperglycemic after 72 hours of induction and then sustained in hyperglycemic condition for 2 weeks. Animals in groups C and D received AC intervention, as stated above, for four weeks. The body weight of the experimental animals and blood collection for glucose estimation were taken weekly for six weeks using appropriate instruments. Biochemical assays for lipid profile, antioxidant enzymatic, and nonenzymatic markers were carried out. Histopathological changes in the cardiac tissues were also studied. Administration of 150 mg/kg of ALX to experimental rats induced diabetes and significantly reduced the body weights, significantly (p < 0.05) increased the glucose level, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, and decreased the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and antioxidant enzymatic markers such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) while the antioxidant nonenzymatic marker such as malondialdehyde (MDA) level was significantly increased. By contrast, rats given the ethanolic extract root of A. conyzoides had significantly (p < 0.05) increased the body weight gain, whereas the glucose levels significantly (p < 0.05) improved in treated diabetic rats. This extract also improved the cardiovascular system of the diabetic rats by significantly decreasing TG and LDL levels, significantly (p < 0.05) increasing the HDL level, significantly reducing the cardiac contents of CAT, SOD, and GPx, and significantly (p < 0.05) decreasing MDA. Ethanolic extract root of A. conyzoides exhibited antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic activities and mitigates damage to the heart from the ALX-induced myocardial toxicity associated with type-1 diabetes.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a persistent metabolic disorder associated with carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolisms that contribute to several kinds of complications, including diabetic cardiomyopathy [1]
The photomicrograph of the diabetic treated with 250 mg/kg of A. conyzoides (C) showed that there was a slight recovery of myocardial tissue with the interstitium of the heart tissue, while the photomicrograph of the diabetic treated with 500 mg/kg of A. conyzoides (D) showed complete restoration of myocardial tissue following the reversal of the degenerative changes and widening the space of interstitium of the heart tissue
This study showed that ALX-induced diabetes led to various lipid abnormalities, and it has been reported in previous studies that the activities of ALX caused lipid profile derangement [30, 38, 39]
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a persistent metabolic disorder associated with carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolisms that contribute to several kinds of complications, including diabetic cardiomyopathy [1]. The plant is commonly found in West Africa and abundant, in the Southern part of Nigeria It is located in the savannah regions and swampy areas of Nigeria. Despite extensive natural use of A. conyzoides in traditional medicine for DM and other diverse ailments, its cardioprotective effects on the persistent metabolic disorder have not been scientifically validated. The present study was designed to investigate the cardioprotective effects of ethanolic extract root of A. conyzoides on cardiac damage in the metabolic disorder of ALX-induced rats
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