Antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effect of balanites aegyptiaca seeds [aqueous extract] on diabetic rats

Type II diabetes mellitus is increasing health problems that negatively affect health care systems worldwide. There is a constant urge to develop new therapies with better effects, lower side effects at lower prices to treat this disease. Therefore, the present study carried out to investigate whether Balanites aegyptiaca [seeds] could treat the hyperglycemic, dislipidemic, liver, and kidney toxicity and the pancreatic damage in diabetic rats. Fifteen adult male albino rats were divided into two groups; group 1: control group, group 2: alloxan induced diabetic rats that divided into two subgroups; subgroup1: diabetic untreated rats, subgroup2: diabetic treated with aqueous extract of B. aegyptiaca [seeds]. After thirty days of treatment, all rats were sacrificed. Blood sample were collected to estimate some hematological and biochemical parameters. Liver samples were collected to determine their glycogen content and pancreatic samples were obtained and processed for microscopic and quantitative evaluation of, alpha, beta and delta-cells number. Diabetic group recorded reduction in body weight's gained, hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia, significant increase in some parameters of liver and kidney functions, dislipidemia, changes in proteins level and decreased liver glycogen content. While, treatment with B. aegyptiaca [seeds] was ameliorated most of the toxic effects of alloxan and showed partially improvement in histological changes produced by alloxan. The aqueous extract of B. aegyptiaca [seeds] has hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic effects, increasing insulin level, and decreasing insulin resistance. Moreover, ameliorate the most complication associated with diabetes mellitus

Effects of antidepressants on behavioral assessment in adolescent rats

To assess the usefulness of the forced swim test [FST] in juvenile rats and to determine the efficacy of two antidepressants on the behavioral changes of adult and juvenile rats. Animal interventional study. Department of Pharmacology, Creighton University, Omaha, USA. Adult and 28 days old rats received saline, Imipramine or Fluoxetine three times during the 24 hours between 15 minutes pre-swim and the 5 minutes swim test. Immobility, swimming and climbing behaviors were measured. Locomotor activity was assessed for 28 days old rats in an open field test. Imipramine-treated juvenile rats had a decrease of immobility and increase climbing behavior, whereas Fluoxetine-treated juveniles had a decrease in immobility and increase in swimming behavior, both in a dose dependent manner. The present study clearly showed that the antidepressant effects of Imipramine and Fluoxetine can be applied to juvenile rats in the forced swim test; it could be validated as practical model for screening of the antidepressant effects