Consumption of green tea alters glial fibriliary acidic protein immunoreactivity in the spinal cord astrocytes of STZ-diabetic rats.
We examined the effect of green tea consumption on glial fibriliary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in spinal cord of streptozotocin (STZ) treated rats. Three groups (n = 10) were used in this study: (i) controls; (ii) STZ-induced diabetic rats given tap water; and (iii) an STZ-induced diabetic group given green tea. Immunohistochemistry showed a significant (P < 0.001) decrease in the number of GFAP immunoreactive astrocytes in spinal cord sections of diabetic rats compared to non-diabetic controls. Diabetic rats treated with green tea showed a significant (P < 0.01) increase in the number GFAP-immunoreactive astrocytes in all the spinal cord gray areas as compared to water-drinking diabetic rats. Immunoblotting confirmed that the diabetic spinal cord tissue expressed 71.0 +/- 7.0% less GFAP compared to non-diabetic controls and that the GFAP content in diabetic rats increased up to 86.34 +/- 18.74% compared to non-diabetic controls after 12 weeks of green tea consumption. In conclusion, consumption of green tea may represent an achievable adjunct therapy for improving changes seen in diabetic spinal cord.
Renno
Waleed M
WM
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences Center, University of Kuwait, Kuwait. wrenno@hsc.edu.kw
Alkhalaf
Moussa
M
Afsari
Zainab
Z
Abd-El-Basset
Ebtesam
E
Mousa
Alyaa
A
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D002452:Cell Count; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013662:Tea
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D013662:Tea