Zeitschrift für Probiotika und Gesundheit
Offener Zugang
ISSN: 2329-8901
ISSN: 2329-8901
Momoh AO*, Fadahunsi AI, Oche VO.
Alloxan and streptozotocin are the two compounds scientists use for inducing diabetes in experimental animals for diabetes research. Although, both compounds are able to induce diabetes, their effects on the blood, pancreas and microflora of the gastrointestinal tract of animals may not the same. This research therefore, aims to compare the effects of alloxan and streptozotocin used to induce type 1 diabetes on albino rats. 12 young adult male albino rats were divided into 3 groups consisting of 4 rats per group. Group 1 was induced using alloxan, group 2 was induced using streptozotocin and group 3 was control. Both groups showed increased production of urine as compared to the control group and weight loss as well as dull furs few days after induction. The blood sugar level rose from 94 mg/dl to 218 ± 6 mg/dl and 204 ± 5 mg/dl in the alloxan and streptozotocin group respectively. The results of the haematology on the blood of the rats showed that alloxan had more negative effect on the packed cell volume compared to the streptozotocin. Comparatively, while the PCV of the control group was 44.67 ± 0.67%, the group induced with streptozotocin had 41.33 ± 0.67% and the group induced with alloxan had PCV of 38.00 ± 1.15%. Microbiologically, the control had the highest bacterial load of 9.0 ± 1.2 × 103 cfu/ml, while the group treated with alloxan had the least bacterial load of 2.0 ± 0.5 × 103cfu/ml. A total of seven bacteria were isolated from intestine and they are Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Clostridium deficile, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris with E. coli having the highest frequency of occurrence. Alloxan caused profuse haemorrhage and complete destruction of the acini with prominent destruction of beta cells and washing away of the ductile beta cells of the pancreas, while streptozotocin caused poor formation of the islet of Langerhans and necrotized cells that is profuse as well as haemorrhage of vascularized cells and no visible interlobular duct. The results gathered from this research showed that the two compounds are able to induce type 1 diabetes in the rats. However, the effect of alloxan was more devastating on the pancreas beta cells as well as on the blood parameters of the rats than streptozotocin. It also had the highest reducing effect on the microflora of the GIT of the rats used.