A Histological Study on the Effect of Aqueous Extract of Cactus on Frontal Cortex of Diabetes Mellitus Wistar Rat

The cactus plant is one of the most common plants used in treatment all kinds of ailment. Studies have shown that the cactus extract has both antihyperglycemic and neuroprotective effects. This research will focus on some of the effect of an aqueous extract of cactus on the cytoarchitecture of the frontal cortex of the diabetic Wistar rats. Thirty (30) male Wistar rats were randomly selected and placed into five (5) groups of 6 Wistar rats each. These include the control group A, diabetic only group B, diabetic+cactus group C, diabetic+metformin group D, and cactus only group E. The animals were acclimatized for one week. The Rats were weighed, and a baseline glucose level established after the overnight fasting period. The animals were injected with streptozotocin calculated at a dose of 70 mg/kg body weight and reintroduced to the normal feeding cycle. After about 72 hours, diabetes was established (blood glucose≥ 7 mmol). The administration of Cactus extract of 100 mg/kg BW and Metformin of 100 mg/kg BW commenced for four weeks. After fourth week the animals were sacrificed by euthanasia and the brain was harvested and fixed in 10 % formal saline for H and E and PTAH staining. At the end of the four weeks experiments the results shows, the average body weight of the rats in the diabetic+cactus group showed an increase by the end of the four-week experiment which was not significantly different to the normal control group, while the diabetic+metformin group was significantly different to the control group and also diabetic control group was significant to normal control group. The relative brain weight of the diabetic+cactus and diabetic+metformin group were not significantly different to the normal control (p>0.05). The blood glucose levels of the diabetic+cactus and diabetic+metformin group at the end of the fourth week were not significant different from Group A (p>0.05). The H and E photomicrographs of diabetic group show that most cells were necrotic, and the normal pyramidal cells present were scanty. The diabetic+cactus group showed presence of more normal pyramidal cells than necrotic cells. The diabetic+metformin group showed presence of both normal and necrotic pyramidal cells. The PTAH staining in the diabetic group, there were astrocytes present with degenerated neuron. Diabetic+cactus and diabetic+metformin groups showed some neurons were degenerated while some appeared normal with astrocytes while the cytoarchitecture of cactus only group are similar to that of normal control group. Aqueous extract of cactus possesses anti hyperglycemic effects and can be a potential and effective therapy for the management of diabetes due to its ameliorative properties as shown in the findings of this research.