Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is considered to be of a major medical concern due to the high prevalence and the potential deleterious effects on patient's physical and psychological states that result in morbid conditions. Vitamin E is found naturally in some foods and available as a dietary supplement. It has many biological functions, the antioxidant function being the most important one.
Objective: This study was designed to elaborates the effect streptozotocin induced maternal diabetes in fetal liver of rat and possible protecting role of vitamin E through biochemical, light microscopic and immunohistochemical technique examinations.
Material and methods: Fifteen virgin female albino rats were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: group I (Control group), Group II (Streptozotocin treated group), Group III (Vitamin E and Streptozotocin treated group). Rats were sacrificed 20 days after detection of pregnancy. Random blood sugar were measured throughout the experiment. Their abdomen were opened and fetuses were removed and liver were dissected for histological and immunohistochemial studies.
Results: streptozotocin induced diabetes caused massive histological degenerations in the liver tissues with positive cytoplasmic caspase-3 immune-staining and marked elevation in random blood sugar. Administration of vitamin E showed some protection against the toxic effects of diabetes.
Conclusion: vitamin E is suggested to have a protecting role on the hazardous effects and structure alterations caused by diabetes.