Effect of Schistosoma mansoni egg depostion on multiple low doses streptozotocin induced insulin dependent diabetes

ABSTRACT

To explore the role of Schistosoma mansoni infection in the prevention of autoimmune mediated insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, the study examined the effects of multiple low doses of the pancreatic islets beta cell toxin, streptozotocin STZ [40 mg/kg] body weight i.p., given eight weeks post infection period of S. mansoni egg deposition on S. mansoni infected C57BL/6J mice in comparison to non-infected STZ given group. G IV was the control group. Mice treated with STZ [G III] became gradually hyperglycemic reaching the highest level on day 17 post STZ. S. Mansoni infection [G II] significantly reduced the elevation in blood glucose levels from day seven post STZ onwards. Morphologic examination of pancreas on day 21 post STZ revealed that the non-infected STZ [G III] given mice had significantly smaller mean islets area and significantly fewer mean number of beta cells/islets. Pancreatic tissue revealed also focal degeneration in the cells of islets of Langerhans in the non-infected STZ given mice [G III] in comparison to the infected STZ given group [G II], which had much less evident cells degeneration