Histomorphometric Evaluation of Renal Tissue in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Male Wistar Rats: Protective Effects of Cinnamon Following Lead Acetate Toxicity

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran

2 Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahroud Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahroud, Iran

Abstract

Diabetes, a prevalent metabolic disorder, can lead to irreversible complications if not treated promptly. In animal models, diabetes is commonly induced using alloxan or streptozotocin. Lead initially accumulates in soft tissues such as the liver, kidneys, and spleen before depositing in hard tissues like bones, teeth, and hair. Various therapeutic approaches are employed to manage or treat diabetes. Cinnamon, containing compounds such as cinnamaldehyde (55–76%), eugenol (5–18%), safrole (less than 2%), and other constituents, exhibits remarkable antioxidant properties. This study utilized 24 male Wistar rats (200 ± 20 g) acclimatized for one week under a 12-hour light/dark cycle at 20 ± 2°C, inducing diabetes with 220 mg/kg alloxan, treating with 200 ppm lead acetate and 70 mg/kg/day cinnamon via oral gavage for 20 days, followed by tissue processing with 10% formalin fixation, paraffin embedding, Hematoxylin-Eosin staining, and data analysis using SPSS with ANOVA and Tukey’s test (p < 0.05). This study evaluated the histomorphometric effects of cinnamon on kidney tissue in diabetic rats compared to diabetic rats treated with lead acetate. Cinnamon (70 mg/kg) significantly reduced proximal tubule diameter (p < 0.05), restoring it to near control levels (6 µm), unlike the increased diameters in diabetic (7.5 µm) and lead acetate-treated (7 µm) groups. Cinnamon mitigated histological damage, suggesting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protective effects against diabetes-induced renal alterations. Following cinnamon treatment, a decrease in the diameter of renal corpuscles, glomerular capillaries, and proximal and distal tubules was observed, accompanied by an increase in the thickness of Bowman's capsule space. 

Keywords

Veterinary and Comparative Biomedical Research
Volume 2, Issue 2
December 2025
Pages 60-68

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