Effect of Urtica dioica Leaf Alcoholic and Aqueous extracts on the Number and the Diameter of the Islets in Diabetic Rats

Urtica dioica has been known as a plant that decreases blood glucose. Despite the importance of this plant in
herbal medicine, relatively little research has been down on effects of this plant on islets yet. The objective of the
current study was to evaluate the effect of dried Urtica dioica leaf alcoholic and aqueous extracts on the number
and the diameter of the islets and histological parameters in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. Six rats were used
in each group. Group I: Normal rats were administered saline daily for 8 weeks. Group II: Diabetic rats were
administered streptozotocin, 50 mg/kg of body weight; Group III: Diabetic rats were administered dried Urtica
dioica leaf aqueous extracts for 8 weeks; Group IV: Diabetic rats were administered dried Urtica dioica leaf
alcoholic extracts for 8 weeks. The animals, groups of diabetic and normal, were sacrificed by ether anaesthesia.
Whole pancreas was dissected. The tissue samples were formalin fixed and paraffin embedded for microscopic
examination. Histologic examination and grading were carried out on hematoxylin-eosin stained sections. The
effects of administration of dried Urtica dioica leaf alcoholic and aqueous extracts to diabetic rats were
determined by histopathologic examination. The pancreas from control rats showed normal pancreatic islets
histoarchitecture. Our results also, indicate that the pancreas from diabetic rats show injury of pancreas tissue
while the pancreas from diabetic rats treated with dried Urtica dioica leaf alcoholic and aqueous extracts show
slight to moderate rearrangement of islets. According to our findings, dried Urtica dioica leaf alcoholic and
aqueous extracts can cause a suitable repair of pancreatic tissue in streptozocin-induced diabetic experimental
model.