Abstract

Abstract
Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a pandemic public health metabolic disease with organ-related complications.
Aims: The present study aimed to investigate the comparative potential therapeutic efficacy of curcumin nanoparticles (Cur-NPs) and chromium chloride nanoparticles (CrCl-NP) in alleviating pancreatic and hepatic damage in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced T2DM in a male Wistar rat model.
Methods: Seventy male rats were randomly allocated into seven experimental groups: Control, T2DM, Cur-NPs treated-T2DM group, curcumin (Cur) treated-T2DM group, CrCl-NPs treated-T2DM group, chromium chloride (CrCl) treated-T2DM group, and Metformin treated-T2DM group. All the treatments were administered orally once daily for sixty consecutive days.
Results: T2DM group exhibits a significant increase in glycemia, serum fructosamine and lipid profile, liver function, and malondialdehyde (MDA), along with a decrease in serum antioxidant enzyme activities, such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Moreover, the histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses showed marked pancreatic and hepatic tissue damage in the T2DM group, including shrunken pancreatic islets, mononuclear infiltration, hepatic congestion, ductular hyperplasia, and fatty degeneration, as well as increased glucagon and decreased insulin expression. However, the treatment with Cur-NPs, Cur, CrCl-NPs, CrCl and Metformin significantly improved these biochemical and histological alterations, with Cur-NPs and Metformin showing the most pronounced protective and restorative effect against diabetes complications.
Conclusion: Cur-NPs and Metformin were the most effective interventions to create protection against hepatic and pancreatic complications in diabetic rats.

Key words: Curcumin-nanoparticles, Chromium chloride-nanoparticles, Streptozotocin, antioxidants, Liver function, Immunohistochemistry, Histopathology, rats, pandemic and public health.