MORPHOMETRIC AND IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF OOCYTE MATURATION AND QUALITY OF DIABETIC MICE FOLLOWING ALOE VERA ADMINISTRATION

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease which causes congenital anomalies and misabortion in females. Decrease in follicle growth and maturation and quality of oocytes occur in type 1 diabetes. The antidiabetic effect of Aloe vera is reported by several investigators. In this study, the effects of Aloe vera gel on diabetic mice oocyte were examined.
First, 25 mice were randomly divided into five groups including: control group (normal saline), Aloe vera group (350 mg/kg/day, by gavage), diabetic group (single dose of 190 mg/kg streptozotocin, IP), diabetic receiving Aloe vera (350 mg/kg/day, by gavage), and diabetic receiving insulin (1 IU/day, SC). All animals were superovulated after 3 weeks. Ovulated oocytes were collected from oviduct. Oocyte nuclear maturation and mitochondrial redistribution were investigated by microscopy and immunocytochemical methods.
Diabetes led to a significant increase in spindle defects, chromosome misalignmentm, and mitochondrial redistribution changes (P˂0.05). Aloe vera and insulin administration decreased these defects significantly (P˂0.05). Maturation rate decreased in diabetic mice, but Aloe vera and insulin administration prevented the decrease significantly (P˂0.05).
The results show that diabetes damages oocyte maturation process and reduces maturation rate and oocyte quality which can cause infertility or subfertility, but Aloe vera administration reduced these defects significantly.