Epidermal Growth Factor Restores Cytokeratin Expression in Rats with Diabetes

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) has been associated with salivary glands dysfunction and disorders. Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) is highly important in the process of wound healing in different parts of the body. The aim of the present study is to investigate the capacity of EGF to reverse the side effects of Streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetes in the submandibular salivary glands of adult Albino male rats, through immunohistochemical localization of cytokeratin in the parenchyma of the glands. Sixty rats were used in this study and were divided into three equal groups, a control group, an STZ induced group and EGF group where STZ induced rats are treated with a daily EGF injection of a dose of 10 µg/Kg body weight for two months. The overall expression of cytokeratin in the submandibular salivary glands of STZ induced rats decreased significantly when compared to the control group. However, in EGF group, cytokeratin expression levels were restored to values that were nearly equal to normal levels. Daily intraperitoneal injection of epidermal growth factor in a dose of 10 µg/Kg body weight for two months, helped reverse the negative side effects of DM in STZ induced rats. However, a small amount of permanent damage was still evident. Future research will be conducted to confirm the above findings through immunohistochemical expression of myosin and E-cadherin as well as ultrastructural examination.