Efeito neuroprotetor do extrato da casca do caule de Pouteria ramiflora com base na morfometria das células hipocampais de ratos diabéticos

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by a persistent hyperglycemia that may affect the central nervous system. To decrease blood glucose levels and to treat complications caused by diabetes, the population has been using plant extracts, such as Pouteria ramiflora. This study evaluated the effects of hydroalcoholic extract from the stem of Pouteria ramiflora on the morphology and morphometry of hippocampal cells. Male rats were divided into non-diabetics (n=6), diabetics (n=6), and treated for 20 days (n=12) with acarbose 25 mg/kg or Pouteria ramiflora extract 100 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg; and the brains were dissected. Sections stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin were prepared and the nuclear diameter of hippocampal cells was analyzed by ImageJ software. The histological analysis revealed that treatment with plant extract had significant increases in the number of cells of the hippocampus for both diabetic and non-diabetic groups. However, as the higher the concentration of the plant extract (500 mg/kg), the greater was the increase in the nuclear diameter and the number of total cells for the diabetic group in comparison with acarbose treatment. In conclusion, administration of Pouteria ramiflora seems to attenuate the brain damage caused by oxidative stress due to the increase in the nuclear diameter of the cells caused by the treatment, also the neuronal loss. Therefore, it is suggested that the extract of Pouteria ramiflora stem bark has a neuroprotective effect on the hippocampal cells of diabetic rats.