Arabic gum aracia improves diabetic peripheral neuropathy in rats: Ultrastructural histopathalogical study.

Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus with reported high rates in the Middle East. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the role of Arabic gum (AG) in alleviating the histopathological changes, at the ultrastructural level, occur in sciatic nerve in an experimental model of diabetic neuropathy. Materials and Methods: Six groups (n= 10 each) of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study; the control, AG-treated, untreated diabetic, diabetic rats treated with metformin alone, diabetic rats treated with metformin and B12 vitamin and diabetic rats treated with metformin, B12 vitamin and AG. Behavioural changes of rats were assessed through open field and hot plat test. Biochemical parameters included blood glucose, insulin levels, lipid profile, oxidants/antioxidants parameters were assessed. Sciatic nerve was dissected, processed and examined histopathologically using the electron microscope. Results: The behavioral changes as well as the lipid profile were significantly improved after all used treatment. The antioxidants indicators included CAT, GSH, SOD, GPx were significantly improved in all treated groups compared to the untreated diabetic group. Sciatic nerve fibers of untreated diabetic rats showed degenerated nerve axons, myelin sheath and Schwann cells. The blood vessels were structurally affected. These ultrastructural changes were markedly improved in all the treated groups specifically that received metformin, vitamin B12 and AG. Conclusion: It could be concluded that Arabic gum combined with metformin and Vitamin B12 had hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant activity which all could be behind its ability to protect sciatic nerve against the diabetes-associated histopathological effects. Based on that a well-designed clinical trial is recommended to confirm its effect of diabetic patients.