Melatonin and Magnesium Restores Neurohistopathological Changes in the Hippocampus of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Abstract

Diabetic encephalopathy and its associated end organ damage have become a major global epidemic in many patients with diabetes mellitus. These diseased conditions are complex and poorly understood, therefore the need to seek for alternative management measures to attenuate the complications associated with it. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of co-administration of melatonin and magnesium on the cytoarchitecture of the hippocampus of streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. STZ was used to induce type 1 diabetes mellitus. Fifty four rats: Forty eight diabetic and six normoglycaemic rats distributed in nine groups as follow; normal control, diabetic control (DC), melatonin low dose (MLD, 10 mg/kg), magnesium low dose (MgLD, 240 mg/kg), melatonin and magnesium combined dose (MMgLD, 10 mg/kg+240 mg/kg, respectively), melatonin high dose (MHD, 20 mg/kg), magnesium high dose (MgHD, 480 mg/kg), melatonin and magnesium high dose (MMgHD, 20 mg/kg+480 mg/kg, respectively) and insulin (IN, 500 mg/kg). Melatonin and insulin were administered through intraperitoneal injections while magnesium was orally. The control groups were given placebo and all treatments were for twenty-one days. Results showed distortion of hippocampal CA1 area in the diabetic control, MgLD, MgHD, MMgHD and IN groups. MLD, MHD and MMgLD groups showed organized structures of hippocampus CA1 area with no cellular distortions, while there were less positive GFAP in the MLD, MHD and MMgLD groups. The DC, MgLD. MgHD, MMgHD and IN groups showed strong GFAP reactivity. In conclusion, MLD, MHD and MMgLD increased neuroprotection of hippocampal neurocytes