BackgroundDiabetes in humans induces chronic complications such as cardiovascular damage, cataracts and retinopathy, nephropathy and polyneuropathy. The most common animal model of human diabetes is streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in the rat. The present study investigated the effects of Nigella sativa hydroalcholic extract on glucose concentrations in streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rats.MethodsIn this study Twenty-five Wister-Albino rats (aged 8-9 weeks and weighing 200-250 g) were tested. Rats were divided into five experimental groups (control, untreated STZ-diabetic (60 mg/kg B.W., IP), treated STZ-diabetic with hydroalcholic extract of Nigella Sativa (NS) (5 mg/kg B.W, IP), treated STZ-diabetic with hydroalcholic extract of NS (10 mg/kg B.W., IP) and treated STZ-diabetic with hydroalcholic extract of NS (20 mg/kg B.W., IP and 32 days were evaluated to assess its effect on fasting blood glucose (FBG), and in different groups fasting blood glucose (FBG) and body weight (BW) were measured in the particular days (1, 16 and 32). At the end of the study, the animals were fasted overnight, anaesthetized with an intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobarbital (60 mg/kg), and sacrificed for obtaining tissues samples (liver, pancreases). The number of islets and cells were counted and the islet diameters were determined by calibrated micrometer. The glycogen content in the liver was examined by Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) staining.ResultsTreatment with NS (5 mg/kg b.w.) markedly increased BW gain and the FBG level was significantly (p<0.001) reduced when compared to the control. Histopathological examination showed that the NS (5 mg/kg b.w.) partially recovered hepatic glycogen content and protected the great deal of the pancreatic islet cells. The number of islets, cells and islets diameter were found statistically significant when compared to the control (p<0.01, p<0.05).ConclusionsHigher doses of NS did not exhibit any therapeutic effect. These results showed that hydroalcholic extract of NS at low doses has hypoglycemic effect and ameliorative effect on regeneration of pancreatic islets and may be used as a therapeutic agent in the management of diabetes mellitus. The hypoglycemic effect observed could be due to amelioration of β-cell, thus leading to increased insulin levels. Consequently, N. sativa may prove clinically useful in the treatment of diabetics and in the protection of β-cells against streptozotocin.Virtual slideThe virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1845133011104231

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Previous studies have found an association between HLA‐B*1502 allele and lamotrigine‐induced Stevens‐Johnson syndrome (SJS)/ toxic epidermal necrosis (TEN) spectrum in Han Chinese populations. This study aims to investigate the association between HLA‐B*1502 and lamotrigine‐ or phenytoin‐ induced SJS/TEN in an Iranian population. The medical records of twenty‐eight lamotrigine‐induced SJS/TEN patients and twenty‐five lamotrigine‐tolerant controls as well as eight phenytoin‐induced SJS/TEN and twelve phenytoin‐tolerant controls were extracted between March 2013 and March 2019 from the university hospitals in Mashhad, Iran. The presence of HLA‐B*1502 allele was determined using real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Among lamotrigine‐induced patients with SJS/TEN, 11 (39.3%) patients tested positive for the HLA‐B*1502 while only 3 (12.0%) of the lamotrigine‐tolerant controls tested positive for this allele. The risk of lamotrigine‐induced SJS/TEN was significantly higher in patients with HLA‐B*1502, with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.74 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14–19.73, p = 0.032]. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of HLA‐B*1502 for lamotrigine‐induced SJS/TEN was 39.29%, 88.00%, 78.57% and 56.41%, respectively. The HLA‐B*1502 allele was present in 2 (25.0%) of phenytoin‐induced SJS/TEN cases and 5 (41.7%) of the phenytoin‐tolerant controls tested positive for HLA‐B*1502 allele. The risk of phenytoin‐induced SJS/TEN was not higher in the patients with HLA‐B*1502 (OR = 0.467 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.065‐3.34, p = 0.642]). Lamotrigine‐induced SJS/TEN is associated with HLA‐B*1502 allele in an Iranian population but this is not the case for phenytoin‐induced SJS/TEN.