title: Protective efficacy of folic acid and vitamin B12 against nicotine-induced toxicity in pancreatic islets of the rat.
abstract: Although cigarette smoking is associated with insulin resistance and an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, few studies have examined the effect of nicotine on the adult endocrine pancreas. In this study, male Wister rats were treated with nicotine (3 mg/kg body weight/ day) with or without supplementation of folic acid (36 μg/kg body weight/day) or vitamin B12 (0.63 μg/kg body weight/day) alone or in combination. Fasting blood glucose, insulin and HBA1C level and different oxidative and anti-oxidative stress parameters were measured and pancreatic tissue sections were stained with eosin-haematoxylene. Data were analysed by nonparametric statistics. The results revealed that nicotine induced prediabetes condition with subsequent damage to pancreatic islets in rats. Nicotine also caused oxidative stress in pancreatic tissue as evidenced by increased nitric oxide and malondialdehyde level and decreased superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione level. Compared to vitamin B12 supplementation, folic acid blunted the nicotine-induced toxicity in pancreatic islets with higher efficacy. Further, folic acid and vitamin B12 in combination were able to confer significant protection on pancreatic islets against nicotine induced toxicity. These results suggest that supplementation of folic acid and vitamin B12 in combination may be a possible strategy of detoxification against nicotine-induced toxicity in pancreatic islets of the rat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Serampore College, Serampore, Hooghly - 712201, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Ankita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhattacharjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Serampore College, Serampore, Hooghly - 712201, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Shilpi Kumari
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Prasad
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Yogoda Satsanga Palpara Mahavidyalaya, Palpara, Purba Midnapore, West Bengal - 721 458, India.
authors.forename: Swagata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Serampore College, Serampore, Hooghly - 712201, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Bithin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maji
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Hooghly Mohsin College, Hooghly, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Alak Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Syamal
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Serampore College, Serampore, Hooghly - 712201, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Arnab
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Serampore College, Serampore, Hooghly - 712201, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Sandip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
keywords: folic acid; islet cell; nicotine; oxidative stress; vitamin B12