L-Carnitine different doses affect serum and pancreas tissue Antioxidative defense and histopathology in STZ-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a global health issue that affects life expectancy and quality. In diabetic patients, the oxidation status is increased which has detrimental effects against homeostasis. L-carnitine showed anti-oxidative effects in different tissues, and also it was reported that L-carnitine levels reduced in patients with diabetes. In this study, we examined the administration of different doses of L-carnitine on antioxidants status in diabetic rats’ serum and pancreas. Forty-eight male rats (200 ± 10 g weight) were randomly selected and divided into 6 groups (n = 8) as follow; Group I, untreated control, group II, Diabetic control, group III-VI, diabetic rats which received 50, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg/day L-carnitine by intraperitoneal injection for 35 days, respectively. At the end of the study, blood samples and pancreas tissue were collected and histopathology and anti-oxidant status were measured. Our results showed that antioxidative capacity was reduced in the diabetic rats. Between different L-carnitine doses, 300 mg/kg/day of L-carnitine showed significant effects than other doses. The highest dose of L-carnitine (300 mg/kg/day) in this study, significantly increased TAS (Total Antioxidant Status), SOD (Superoxide Dismutase) and GPX (Glutathione Peroxidase) levels in the pancreas and serum. Also, it improved pancreas histopathology compared to the diabetic control group. We conclude that L-carnitine administration has protective effects on the pancreas and serum of STZ-induced diabetic rats, and exerts these beneficial effects through hypoglycemic and antioxidant actions.