Effects of Short-Term Garcinia kola and Prolonged Curcumin Treatment on Pancreatic Morphology and Function in Diabetic Rats with Sciatic Nerve Transection

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of curcumin (Cur) and Garcinia kola (GK) on the pancreatic structure in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model complicated by sciatic nerve transection. Thirty-five adult male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into five groups (n=7 each): Control, Sham, diabetes+nerve transection group (DM), DM+Cur, and DM+GK. Diabetes was induced with STZ (50 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (i.p.)), and sciatic nerve injury was induced using vein graft transection. The rats received Cur (300 mg/kg/day for 28 days) or GK (200 mg/kg/day for 7 days) via oral gavage. Pancreatic tissue was examined using stereology, histopathology, electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and oxidative stress markers, including total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI). The DM group showed significant pancreatic degeneration and reduced pancreatic and islet volume (p<0.05). OSI and caspase-3 levels were markedly increased in the DM group (p<0.05). The DM+Cur and DM+GK groups exhibited a significant reduction in cleaved caspase-3 expression (p<0.05) compared to DM group, indicating attenuation of apoptosis. However, there was no significant improvement in the pancreatic volume or histological restoration (p>0.05). In addition, there were no significant differences between the DM and both groups regarding the OSI values (p>0.05). Zymogen granule depletion persisted across all diabetic groups. Beyond that, the Sham group showed mild degeneration, suggesting a surgical influence. Although Cur and GK conferred partial antioxidant and anti-apoptotic benefits, they did not restore pancreatic morphology or function in this dual-injury model. These findings indicate that phytotherapy alone provides limited efficacy in such complex diabetic-neuropathic conditions. Future studies with longer treatment durations, improved drug delivery systems, or combination strategies are needed to clarify their translational potential.