Chronic effect of the hydroalcholic extract of Urtica dioica leaves on regeneration of β-cells of hyperglycemic rats

Urtica dioica has been introduced with hypoglycemic activity in Iranian traditional medicine. There are some reports with different results about the hypoglycemic activity of Urtica dioica. This study was done to determine the chronic effect of the hydroalcholic extract of Urtica dioica leaves on Hyperglycemia and regeneration of β-cells in hyperglycemic rats. 30 Wistar rats were allocated in groups of normal, Diabetic and treatment. Hyperglycemia in Rats induced by 80 mg kg-1 streptozotocin. One week after injection of STZ Animals in treatment group received hydroalcholic extract of Urtica dioica 100 mg kg-1 day-1 for 4 weeks, intraperitoneally. The blood glucose was measured by using a Glucometer in 1st, 3rd and 5th weeks. In the end of 5th weeks the animals in each group were sacrificed by ether anesthesia and whole pancreas in three groups extracted and fixed in bouin and stained by chrome alum hematoxiline-phloxine stain and beta cells percentage were counted in three groups by Olympus microscope. Mean±SE of blood glucose concentrations in end of fifth weeks were 99.4±5.0, 454.7±34.5 and 447.4±42.5 in control, diabetic and treatment groups, respectively (p<0.05).The percentage of β-cells (beta cells) in control, diabetic and treatment groups was 73.6, 1.9 and 1.3, respectively. The percentage of β-cells in diabetic and treatment groups comparing with control group was significant (p