الفهرس 
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Abstract
The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in pregnancy is high and continues to rise worldwide. Exposure of the fetus to hyperglycemia in pregnancy can lead to a variety of complications to the offspring such as neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, increased risk of cardiovascular disease and defective bone growth. A total number of 40 adult female and 10 adult male albino rats (3 months aged), weighing 200-250 g, were used in this study. The females were randomly divided into four groups (10 rats for each group). group A (control) which was received no treatment. group B (Alloxan group) which was given alloxan monohydrate (dissolved in 0.9% cold normal saline solution at a dose of 150 mg/kg body weight) by a single intraperitoneal injection for induction of diabetes. Presence of diabetes was assessed by determining blood glucose concentrations 72 h and one week after injection of alloxan. The blood glucose was measured by On Call Plus blood glucose monitor. Rats with blood glucose levels above 200 mg/dl were then selected for the study. group C (Alloxan + Arachidonic acid group) which was given AA at a dose of 55µg/kg orally daily for a week followed by single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan monohydrate and then AA was given once weekly for the whole duration of the study. group D (Arachidonic acid group) which was given AA at a dose of 55µg/kg orally consecutively for a week and once in a week for the whole duration of the study. Mating was allowed and the presence of a vaginal plug that contains sperms was recorded as gestational day one.
For each group, the female pregnant rats were sacrificed at the following ages: gestational days 15, 17 and 19. The animals were anaesthetized by ether inhalation then subjected to intracardiac perfusion of normal saline 0.9% NaCl and the fetuses were collected for further investigation. In addition, the offsprings were sacrificed at newborn, three weeks and two months after anesthesia by ether inhalation then subjected to intracardiac perfusion of normal saline 0.9% NaCl. At each of the previous ages the lumbar vertebrae, the sacrum and the cranial vault were extracted, fixed in 10% formaldehyde solution for light microscopic study and 2.5% glutaraldehyde for electron microscopy. The animals (10 male pups for each age group) were investigated for the study and the snout-rump, crown-rump and crown-heel length and the weight were measured for statistical analysis. Morphometrical and statistical analysis of the thickness of the cranial vault and the epiphyseal growth plates of the lumbar and sacral vertebrae was done. The pancreas of the female rats (mother rat) was extracted and fixed in the 10% puffered formalin for light and immunohistochemical staining to assess the expression of insulin in the pancreatic islets using anti insulin antibodies. In addition, morphometrical and statistical analysis of the pancreatic islets was done.
Light microscopic examination of H&E-stained sections of the alloxan-induced diabetic group revealed delayed development of the cranial vault and lumbar and sacral vertebrae when compared to the control group with distortion and disorganization of the cells.
Masson’s trichrome stained and semithin sections of the cranial vault and lumbar and sacral vertebrae of the alloxan-induced diabetic group showed diminished staining of the collagen matrix as compared to the control group.
Electron microscopic examination of the reserve and proliferative cells of the alloxan-induced diabetic group showed irregular vacuolated cells with less collagen fibrils in the extracellular matrix.
The light and electron microscopic examination of the lumbar vertebrae, the sacral vertebrae and the cranial vault of the alloxan + arachidonic acid group of all studied age groups showed normal tissue and cell structure as compared to the control group.
Light microscopy of the pancreas of rats’ mothers of alloxan-induced diabetic group showed marked shrinkage of the pancreatic islets, and the islets cells appeared atrophied with apoptotic nuclei, as compared to the control group. Also, very weak insulin immunoreactivity was detected in the cytoplasm of beta cells of shrunken pancreatic islets.
Morphometrical and statistical analysis of the weight, crown rump length, snout rump length and crown heel length, the thickness of the epiphyseal growth plate of the lumbar and sacral vertebrae and cranial vault thickness illustrated highly-significant decrease in all parameters in the alloxan-induced diabetes group as compared to the other groups.
Morphometrical and statistical analysis of the number of pancreatic islets, surface area of the islets, and the number of beta cells per islet in rats’ mothers of the alloxan-induced diabetes group showed highly significant decrease in all parameters is found as compared to the control group.
This study illustrated the protective effect of arachidonic acid against structural and ultrastructural bony deteriorations associated with alloxan-induced diabetes through restoring the bone structure and insulin immunoexpression in the pancreatic β-cells and exerting anti-apoptotic effect. This research needs to be repeated on several experimental animals before testing it on human volunteers. Based on our
results, it is suggested to recommend giving arachidonic acid to diabetics who have bone problems. However, future research is needed to decide on the safe dose and duration of arachidonic acid intake for diabetic pregnant women. Moreover, the results of this study are of outmost significance in paving the road towards incorporation of arachidonic
acid in our food industry as prophylaxis against diabetes, and to fight against the diabetes-associated abnormalities.