Protective effect of Jinlida granules on hippocampus of diabetic rats

Objective To investigate the protective effect of Jinlida granules on hippocampus of diabetic rats.Methods Diabetic models were induced by high-fat diet and intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin(STZ) in SD rats.The study was divided into diabetic model group,Jinlida granule groups(0.75,1.5,and 3.0 g/kg),α-lipoic acid group and insulin group.Healthy rats served as normal controls.Rats were tested in Morris water maze after 8 weeks of treatment,and then the hippocampus tissues were taken from each group and were subjected to TUNEL assay and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) observation.The activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione(GSH),myeloperoxidase(MPO),and the contents of malondialdehyde(MDA) were all examined.Results The diabetic rats developed studying and memory disorders 8 weeks after establishment.Except for those in the low-dose Jinlida group,rats in other treatment groups had improved studying and memory functions to different extents.Compared with normal control group,rats in the model group had more apoptotic neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area,prominent ultrastructure damage,significantly decreased SOD and GSH activities(P0.05),and significantly increased MPO activity and MDA level(P0.05).Compared with the model group,rats in all the treatment groups had decreased apoptosis and less ultrastructure damage;and rats in high-dose Jinlida group,α-lipoic acid group and insulin group had significantly increased SOD and GSH activities and significantly decreased MPO activity in the hippocampal CA1 area(P0.05);and the high-dose Jinlida granule group had a similar effect to α-lipoic acid group.Conclusion Jinlida granule can protect the hippocampus of diabetic rats.