Abstract

AMELIORATIVE EFFECT OF Coccinia grandis LEAF EXTRACT ON NEUROCHEMICAL ALTERATIONS OF SCIATIC NERVE IN STZ INDUCED DIABETIC RATS.

Bhaskar Nagilla*, Pratap Reddy K

Abstract

The role of Coccinia as a hypoglycemic agent in diabetic rats has been proved earlier. The present study investigates the effect of Coccinia on glucose metabolism of sciatic nerve in STZ induced diabetic rats, and reports its amelioration. Coccinia grandis leaf extract (200 mg/kg body weight) was administered orally to STZ induced diabetic rats for 3 weeks. Metformin (150mg/kg body weight) was used as standard reference drug. After 21 days of experimentation neurochemical alterations such as glucose, fructose, sorbitol and reduced glutathione were determined in sciatic nerve. Enzymes such as hexokinase, aldose reductase, sorbitol dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were also determined after 3 weeks. A histopathological alteration of sciatic nerve was also studied. Plasma glucose levels were significantly reduced after oral administration of Coccinia to diabetic rats for 21 days. In normal glycolytic pathway glucose is channelized through it, but reduced hexokinase activity in STZ induced diabetic rats indicated a portion of the glucose was found to be directed to polyol pathway, which was evident by increased polyol pathway enzymes aldose reductase and sorbitol dehydrogenase activity, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase causing accumulation of sorbitol and fructose. Decreased reduced glutathione content in sciatic nerve indicates its antioxidant effect. Coccinia treatment forbade activation of the polyol pathway and its metabolites accumulation. The sciatic nerves were also protected against the structural abnormalities found in diabetes with Coccinia treatment. The results suggest that it has the property to ameliorate the progression of diabetic complications in peripheral nerve with its efficient antidiabetic effect.

Keywords: Coccinia grandis, Polyol pathway, Metformin, Sciatic nerve