Dual Action of Arecoline on Adrenal Function and Glucose-Glycogen Homeostasis in Metabolic Stress in Mice

Abstract

Background. People chew betel nut (Areca catechu) for physical work and stress reduction, but it contains arecoline, which has both therapeutic value and untoward effects on endocrine and gonadal functions.Objective. Aim of the present study is to investigate its role on adrenal with its target in metabolic stress in mice.Materials and methods. Mice were deprived of water / food, each for 5 days / treated with arecoline (10 mg / kg body wt daily for 5 days) / arecoline after water or food deprivation, for 5 days each.Results. Water or food-deprivation caused adrenocortical hyperactivity, evident from abundance of enlarged mitochondria and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) with elevation of corticosterone level (