Protective Effect of L-Arginine on Streptozotocin (STZ)-Induced Adrenal Cortical Damage

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Objective: To assess the extent of restorative potential of L-arginine on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced adrenal gland injury in albino rats, and to compare its effectiveness to that of insulin.

Study Design: Prospective experimental study.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Basic Medical Sciences institute (BMSI), Jinnah postgraduate medical center (JPMC), Karachi from February to March 2018. Materials and Methods: Forty male, healthy albino rats, 90-120 days of age were divided into 4 groups. Group A was taken as control, Group B was administered STZ, Group C and D were given STZ along with insulin and L-arginine respectively. Tissue from right adrenal gland was processed for paraffin embedding and tissue slides were stained with haematoxylin and eosin for morphometry, and Mallory’s Trichrome stain to examine blood vessels in sections from control and treated groups.

Results: Mallory’s Trichrome stained sections of group B showed hypertrophy of zona fasciculata with large number of dilated blood vessels as compared to control Group-A. Mallory’s Trichrome stained sections of Group C showed slight recovery as there were numerous dilated vessels in hypertrophied zona fasciculata, whereas tissue sections from Group D displayed marked recovery with normal arrangement of blood vessels in zona fasciculata similar to control.

Conclusion: STZ- induced adrenal cortex injury was protected by simultaneous use of insulin and L-arginine. The improvement was more pronounced with L-arginine when compared to insulin.