HEPATOTOXICITY ASSOCIATED WITH HYPOGLYCEMIC EFFECTS OF TEUCRIUM POLIUM IN DIABETIC RATS

Background-Aqueous extract of Teucrium polium has been used traditionally as an antidiabetic agent in many Iranian provinces. The goal of this study was to investigate the hypoglycemic effect and histopathological changes in the liver following the ingestion of an extract of T. polium in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. Methods-An aqueous extract of Teucrium polium was fed intra-esophageally to healthy and streptozocin-induced diabetic rats for several days. Serum glucose levels of the case group were measured daily and compared to those of the healthy control. At the end of the extract ingestion period, parts of the animal liver were excised, fixed in formalin and studied histologically. Results-Treatment of diabetic animals with the aqueous extract resulted in a significant decrease (p<0.001) in the serum glucose level after 24h, which reached those of the normoglycemic animals in 8 days. Liver sections from T. polium-treated rats showed marked cytoplasmic hydropic changes in 1/3 to 2/3 of the liver lobule in perivenular and midzonal areas. Apoptopic bodies were also noted in the perivenular zone and Kupffer cells increased in number. Nuclear enlargement with anisonucleosis and prominence of 1 or 2 nucleoli suggestive of regenerative changes were also observed. Conclusion-Although the aqueous extract of T. polium has strong hypoglycemic properties in experimental animals, human application should be discouraged.