Introduction: Thyroid dysfunction adversely affect the pancreas. Hesperidin, a flavonoid, has been explored for treating pancreatic disorders including diabetes and pancreatitis.
Objectives: Evaluation of possible protective effect of hesperidin on pathophysiological and structural pancreatic changes in carbimazole-induced hypothyroidism rat model.
Material and Method: Thirty adult male albino rats were divided into 3 groups (I) control, (II) hypothyroid, (III) hypothyroid hesperidin treated group. Finally, rats were sacrificed; blood samples were collected to measure the levels of serum amylase, lipase, insulin and fasting blood glucose. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant enzymes were measured in pancreatic homogenate. Pancreatic tissues were used in the histological, electron microscopic, morphometric and immunohistochemical studies for Bax and insulin proteins.
Results: Hypothyroid rats showed a significant decrease of serum amylase, lipase and pancreatic antioxidant enzymes compared with control. There was a significant increase of fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, homeostatic model assessment in hypothyroid rats compared with control. There were no significant statistical differences between MDA levels among all groups. Hypothyroid group revealed fatty infiltration and eosinophilic material deposition in the pancreatic connective tissue septa. Acinar cells showed small dark nuclei, increased basal basophilia, cytoplasmic vacuolation, degenerated mitochondria and dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum. β-cells of pancreatic islets were densely packed with insulin granules. There was a significant increase of insulin immune-expression and increased of Bax immunoreactivity. Hypothyroid group displayed a significant decrease of zymogen granules and significant increase in collagen fibers deposition compared with control. Hesperidin administration to hypothyroid rats significantly improved serum amylase, lipase and pancreatic antioxidant enzymes levels, down regulated insulin and Bax immunoexpression. Zymogen granules were significantly increased and collagen fibers were significantly decreased compared with hypothyroid group. Histological results were consistent with the biochemical results.
Conclusion: Hesperidin treatment of hypothyroid rats reversed the associated functional and structural pancreatic changes via antioxidant and antiapoptotic mechanisms.