Variegation in the Number of Islets of Langerhans in the Pancreas of Rats Fed on Sodium Cyclamate

Abstract

Objective: To observe the effects of an artificial sweetener (sodium cyclamate) on a rat's pancreas and glucose levels.
 Study Design: Laboratory-based experimental study.
 Place and Duration of Study: Army Medical College Rawalpindi, in association with the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, Pakistan from Jun 2014 to Jan 2015.
 Methodology: Forty Sprague Dawley rats (male and female housed separately to avoid mating and pregnancy) were involved in the experiment. Twenty rats in each control and experimental group. C served as control and E for the experimental group. A normal laboratory diet was fed to control Group-C for two months, whereas through an oral gavage needle, artificial sweetener 60mg/kg/day (sodium cyclamate) was fed to experimental animals for two months. During the two months after twelve-hour fasting, rats' blood glucose level was recorded weekly. At the commencement and completion of these two months, the weight of the animals was noted.
 Results: Fasting blood sugars of experimental group was found to be statistically significant from week 3 to 9 with p-values of 0.034, <0.001, <0.001, 0.002, 0.001, <0.001, <0.001 respectively. Number of islets of Langerhans was significantly higher 13.70 ± 1.87μm in experimental group compared with control group with the p-value of <0.001.
 Conclusion: Sodium cyclamate not only affected the glucose metabolism but also disturbed the normal histology of the endocrine pancreas.

The Effects Of Simvastatin On Islets Of Langerhans In The Pancreas Of Rats: A Histological And Biochemical Study

“…Islets containing three or more endocrine cells were considered, and the whole slide was scanned with the help of a pointer. 6 The mean value was obtained for three slides for each specimen. The area of the islets of Langerhans was calculated using the morphometric computer software "Image J," a software by the National Institute of Health USA for calculating area and other user-defined morphometric parameters.…”