BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMO-PATHOLOGICAL COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF INSULIN AND LETTUCE OIL ON EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

There is upward evidence that established the connection between dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and insulin action and sensitivity. The main objective of this study is to compare the biological, biochemical and histopathological effects of insulin and lettuce oil (poly unsaturated fatty acids) on alloxan - induced diabetic rats. 42 Albino rats were divided into 6 groups the first group fed on basal diet (control negative). Rats in the other five groups were all injected subcutaneously with 150 mg/kg body weight of alloxan to induce hyperglycemia then those rats were subdivided into the followings: a group that remained as induced diabetic 'control positive [2^nd  group], a group that fed on basal diet and subcutaneously injected with insulin I IU /kg body weight of weekly[3^nd  ]group : a group that fed on basal diet + injected with half of the insulin dose mentioned in the previous group + dietary supplemented with Lettuce oil 2% (LO2%) [4^th  group ; a group that fed on basal diet + dietary supplemented with Lettuce oil 4% (LO4%) (5^th  group), and the 6 group was fed on basal diet + dietary supplemented with Lettuce oil 6% (LO6%). At the end of the experimental period (8 weeks). different biological and serological parameters were estimated and specimens from the pancreas, liver and kidney were collected for histopathological examination. The results revealed that diabetic rats either treated with insulin alone or combined with LO2% showed significant increase in the food efficiency ratio (FER) with marked decrease in food intake (FI) Rats in the all the intervention groups elicited variable degrees of decline in the serum glucose level Insulın treated, insulin +LO2%.LO4% and LO6% groups showed significant decrease in the serum triglycerides, LDL and VLDL and elicited significant increase in serum HDL. Addition of LO2% to the diet of diabetic rats in combination with insulin injection displayed significant decrease in the urea nitrogen and creatinine. By increasing the amount of lettuce oil added to the diabetic rat diets, the mean values of uric acid &urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were directed toward the control negative values. Serum aspartate amino transferase (AST) level was significantly decreased in the groups treated either with insulin only or fed on LO4% & LO6%. Histopathological results showed that, the combination between insulin therapy and dietary supplementation with lettuce oil descend the curve representing tissue damage and histonathological lesions resulted from diabetes in the liver, kidney and pancreatic tissues.