Effect of eugenol on lipid profile, oxidative stress, sex hormone, liver injury, ovarian failure, and expression of COX-2 and PPAR-α genes in a rat model of diabetes

Abstract

Abstract Background: Diabetes is among the leading causes of reproductive system failure and infertility in both women and men. Inflammation and oxidative stress have a main role in the development of diabetes. Eugenol or clove oil is a phenolic monoterpenoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Here, the effects of eugenol on diabetes features and ovarian function were investigated. Methods and Results: Streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats were treated with 12 and 24 mg/kg of eugenol for 4 weeks. The biochemical and histological assay was done to evaluate the effects of eugenol on ovary and pancreas function, liver injury, oxidative status, sex hormones, lipid profile, and mRNA levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α) genes. Streptozotocin increased levels of serum glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), malondialdehyde (MDA), pancreas necrosis and inflammation, COX-2 expression, ovarian cystic, and anovulation. It decreased the levels of insulin, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), Superoxide dismutase (SOD), estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and PPAR-α expression. Eugenol administration ameliorated diabetes features through the improvement of lipid profile, oxidative status, insulin and glucose levels, sex hormone levels, liver markers, COX-2 and PPAR-α expression, and pancreas histology. It had no effect on ovarian cystic and follicular development. Conclusions Therefore, eugenol may be useful for ameliorating some adverse features of diabetes and used as an adjunct treatment or protective agent accompany by other chemicals in diabetes patients.