The effect of diabetes mellitus on the rat ventral prostate and the possible protective role of Ginkgo biloba extracts

Abstract

Context Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a worldwide common disease that causes many complications in the male genital system including the prostate gland. Many studies have shown that extracts of Ginkgo biloba have antioxidant and free radical eliminating effects. Aim The present study aims to explore the histological effects of DM on the ventral prostate gland in rats and the possible protective role of Ginkgo extracts. Materials and methods Forty-five adult albino male rats were chosen for this study and they were classified into three equal groups. The control group was divided into two subgroups: the subgroup 1 rats received distilled water for 6 weeks; the subgroup 2 rats were injected intraperitoneally by a single dose of 0.15 ml 0.1 mol/l citrate buffer. To induce diabetes rats in the diabetic and protective groups were administered 60 mg/kg streptozotocin intraperitoneally, a week later rats in the protective group received Ginkgo extract orally in a dose of 100 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks. Six weeks after diabetes induction, samples from the ventral prostate from all groups were obtained for histological examination. Results No structural differences between the two control subgroups were observed. The diabetic group showed focal epithelial stratification with pyknotic nuclei resting on the disrupted basement membrane. By electron microscope (EM) the cells had irregular nuclei, few mitochondria, many cytoplasmic vacuoles, dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) cisternae, and few apical microvilli. In other areas, the cells were destructed with dissolved cytoplasm; many fragmented rounded bodies were observed in the lumen. The Ginkgo was found to improve most of the prostatic changes associated with DM. Conclusion Ginkgo extracts improve the prostatic changes produced by DM.

Keywords

• diabetes mellitus
• ginkgo biloba
• ventral prostate