Aminoguanidine mitigates apoptosis, testicular seminiferous tubules damage, and oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of aminoguanidine (AG) against testicular damage streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetes. Thirty two rats were separated into four groups: control, AG, STZ and STZ+AG. In the STZ group, 12.5±1.3% of tubules were seen as containing sloughed spermatogenic cells into the lumen, 28.7±1.8% of tubules were atrophic, 46.2±2.1% of tubules were degenerative and 8.5±0.9% of tubules contained giant cells. Statistically, the affected tubule number was significantly lower in the STZ+AG group than in the STZ group. Intensely stained caspase-3 cells showed a statistically significant increase in the STZ group, while it decreased in the STZ+AG group. The enzyme activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) level decreased and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) increased in the STZ group, while AG treated diabetic rats showed an increase of CAT, SOD activity and GSH level and a decrease in MDA and NO levels. This study shows that the oxidative stress, increased NO level and apoptotic cell death play an important role in diabetic rat testicular damage and that AG treatment of diabetic rats results in protection of spermatogenic cells against oxidative stress and apoptotic cell death.

Ameliorative effects of aminoguanidine on rat aorta in Streptozotocin-induced diabetes and evaluation of α-SMA expression.

OBJECTIVE: Diabetes mellitus is one of the chronic metabolic diseases which is characterized by microvascular and macrovascular complications. This study was designed to investigate the improving the effects of amnioguanidine on aortic damage in a streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rat model. METHODS: Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats divided into four groups as follows: Control, Aminoguanidine, Diabetes, and Diabetes+Aminoguanidine. Experimental diabetes was induced by single dose STZ (45 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. After administration of STZ, the DM+AMG group began to receive AMG (1 g/L) was prepared by dissolving in tap water during 10 weeks. At the end of the study, blood glucose levels were determined and rats were sacrified by ketamine anesthesia. Following routine tissue process, aortas were embedded in paraffin. Histochemical (H-E and Orcein) and immunohistochemical α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) stains were applied and the sections examined by light microscope. Statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS 13.0 statistical program. RESULTS: The rats in diabetes group had significantly higher blood glucose levels than the rats of control. The main histological alterations were detected in tunica media such as extensive thickening (414.32±9.62 µm), irregular of elastic fibers and intensive α-SMA staining in diabetic rats. The thickness of tunica media was statistically increased in DM group, when compared with the control group (p<0.001). On the other hand, AMG prevented disorganization of elastic fibers and overexpression of α-SMA. The mean thickness of tunica media was decreased significantly in DM+AMG (319.16±6.53 µm) compared with the DM group (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that AMG treatment may protect the impairment of aort structure at histological level.