Effects of aqueous extract of Berberis integerrima root on some physiological parameters in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrine disorder. Anti-diabetic agents from natural and synthetic sources are available for the treatment of this disease. Berberis integerrima is a medicinal shrub used in conventional therapy for a number of diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of aqueous extract of Berberis integerrima root [AEBI] on some physiological parameters in normal and streptozotocin-induced [STZ-induced] diabetic male Wistar rats. STZ-induced diabetic rats showed significant increases in the levels of blood glucose, triglycerides [TG], total cholesterol [TC], low density lipoprotein LDL-cholesterol [LDL-C], creatinine [Cr], urea, alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alkaline phosphatase [ALP], total bilirubin while body weight, high density lipoprotein HDL-cholesterol [HDL-C] and total protein levels were significantly decreased compared to normal rats. Treatment of diabetic rats with different doses of aqueous extract of Berberis integerrima root [250 and 500 mg/Kg bw] resulted in a significant decrease in blood glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, ALT, AST, ALP, total bilirubin, creatinine and urea while HDL-cholesterol and total protein levels were markedly increased after six weeks compared to untreated diabetic rats. The effects of the AEBI at dose of 500 mg/Kg in all parameters except blood glucose [similar] is more than to the standard drug, glibenclamide [0.6 mg/Kg, p.o.]. The results of this study indicate that the tested aqueous extract of Berberis integerrima root possesses hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects in STZ-induced diabetic rats

[Effect of aspirin on learning and memory impaired by pentylenetetrazole kindling in male rat]

In recent years many studies have reported that aspirin could have beneficial effect on learning and memory in different diseases of central nervous system. The objective of present study was to explore the effect of aspirin on learning and memory of Rats in pentylenetetrazole kindling model. In this experimental study Rats were divided randomly into six groups [n=8]. Animals in three groups received aspirin [15 and 30 mg/kg, orally] and saline, one week before and during induction of kindling, respectivley. Kindling was induced in these groups by administration of pentylenetetrazole [PTZ: 40 mg/kg, ip]. Two groups of animals received only aspirin 25 and 30 microg/kg orally. Other group received only saline throughout the study and served as health control group. After induction of kindling the learning and memory of Rats was tested in shuttle box. Study was divided to three stages of adaptation, acquisition and retention test. Initial Latency [IL] time before electrical shock and Step through latency [STL] time, 20 min or 24h after acquisition was evaluated as learning and memory index. Locomotor activity was also evaluated in open filed test. PTZ kindling significantly decreased Initial Latency and Step through latency time, 20 min or also 24h after acquisition, and aspirin significantly increased these times in kindled animals [p<0.05]. Aspirin also had no significant effect on locomotor activity of animals. This study showed that the administration of aspirin to kindled Rats improved learning and memory impairments induced by pentylenetetrazole kindling