Decreased Serum Sodium and Potassium Ions but Raised Creatinine in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats; Reversibility by Methanol and Ethanol Extracts of Terminalia catappa

Renal complications in diabetes mellitus is a major concern that stimulates research on various mitigation approaches.This study was investigating the changes in renal parameters in diabetes and comparative effects of methanol and ethanol extracts of Terminalia catappa.A total of 30 rats were divided randomly into six groups of five animals per group.Group 1 as control got distilled water, 5ml/kg body weight orally.Group 2 was diabetic group and received distilled water orally, 5ml/kg body weight.Group 3 was administered methanol leaf extract of T. catappa at 312.25 mg/Kg body weight orally while group 4 received 362.28 mg/Kg body weight of ethanol extract of T. catappa leaves.Groups 5 and 6 were diabetic rats treated with 30 mg/Kg body weight aspirin and subcutaneous administration of insulin, 0.75 IU/Kg body weight respectively.Inducement of diabetes was by use of streptozotocin at 65 mg/Kg body weight.Results showed significant (p < 0.05) decrease of Na + in diabetic (124.2+1.39 mEq/L), methanol (114.8+1.77mEq/L) and ethanol (118.2+1.93 mEq/L) extract groups compared with control group value of 140.2+2.31mEq/L.Also significantly (p < 0.05) decreased K + was in diabetic (3.42+0.10mEq/L), methanol (2.96+0.12mEq/L) and ethanol (3.14+0.06mEq/L) extract groups compared with control group value of 4.48+0.18mEq/L.Slight changes in serum creatinine level were observed with increase from control group value of 79.4+1.50 mg/L to 85.2+0.97 mg/L and 81.8+1.28 mg/L in diabetic and ethanol groups respectively but decreased to 71.4+2.06 mg/L in methanol group.Diabetic hyperglycemia related hyponatremia and hypokalemia was not reversed by methanol or ethanol extracts of Terminalia catappa leaves but raised serum creatinine was reduced by both extracts and reduction was significant in only methanol extract group.This suggests the inability of the extracts to reverse changes in osmolality in type 1 diabetes mellitus.