Immunohistochemical studies on the effect of Aloe vera on the pancreatic â-cells in neonatal streptozotocin-induced type-II diabetic rats

Aloe vera is used worldwide for several medical purposes as alternative medicine. There are positive and negative reports on the hypoglycaemic effects of this plant. From previous acute studies, Aloe leaf gel and pulp extracts lead to significant decreases in blood glucose in neonatal streptozotocin (n0-STZ)-treated type-II diabetic rats, whereas lowering of blood glucose during chronic treatment with the same extracts was statistically insignificant. Here we try to detect whether Aloe leaf gel and pulp extracts affect pancreatic â-cells. Using n0-STZ type-IIdiabetic rats, the immunoreactivity of â-cells of the islets of Langerhans did not differ among treatments of control, glibenclamide-, Aloe vera leaf pulp- and gel extract-treated rats. These results suggest that treatment of diabetic rats with Aloe vera gel or pulp or glibenclamide has no beneficial influence on the pancreatic â-cells in type II diabetes