title: A protective role of arecoline hydrobromide in experimentally induced male diabetic rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Arecoline, the most potent and abundant alkaloid of betel nut, causes elevation of serum testosterone and androgen receptor expression in rat prostate, in addition to increase in serum insulin levels in rats, leading to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes-like conditions. This study investigated the role of arecoline on the reproductive status of experimentally induced type 1 diabetic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Changes in the cellular architecture were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Blood glucose, serum insulin, testosterone, FSH, and LH were assayed. Fructose content of the coagulating gland and sialic acid content of the seminal vesicles were also analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Arecoline treatment for 10 days at a dose of 10 mg/kg of body weight markedly facilitated β-cell regeneration and reversed testicular and sex accessory dysfunctions by increasing the levels of serum insulin and gonadotropins in type 1 diabetic rats. Critical genes related to β-cell regeneration, such as pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (pdx-1) and glucose transporter 2 (GLUT-2), were found to be activated by arecoline at the protein level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It can thus be suggested that arecoline is effective in ameliorating the detrimental effects caused by insulin deficiency on gonadal and male sex accessories in rats with type 1 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700 019, India.
authors.forename: Indraneel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700 019, India.
authors.forename: Joydeep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700 019, India.
authors.forename: Biswaranjan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maiti
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata 700 019, India.
authors.forename: Urmi
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9317-5672
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Chatterji
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001115:Arecoline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D005632:Fructose / Q000378:metabolism; D051273:Glucose Transporter Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D051273:Glucose Transporter Type 2; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D015534:Trans-Activators; C084010:pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 protein; D005632:Fructose; D013739:Testosterone; D001115:Arecoline; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone