Artesunate intervention improves structural changes of the lacrimal gland and tear secretion in diabetic rats

Abstract

Abstract Diabetic patients are at high risk of developing lacrimal gland dysfunction, and the antimalarial drug artesunate (ART) was recently used to treat type 1 diabetes mellitus. This study’s objective is to investigate the effect of ART on the rat exorbital lacrimal gland and eyeball tissues and tear secretion in a type 1 diabetic dry eye animal model. Forty rats were divided into five groups (8 rats/group): healthy control group (HC), diabetic group (DM), 50 mg/kg ART intervention diabetic group [DM + ART (50 mg/kg)], 100 mg/kg ART intervention diabetic group [DM + ART (100mg/kg)] and 6 U/ kg Insulin intervention diabetic group (DM + INS). External lacrimal gland and eyeball tissues were harvested and for histopathological examination, electronic microscopic examination, NFκB1, and TNF-α protein expression evaluation by immunohistochemistry and mRNA expression analysis by RT-PCR. Histopathological and ultrastructural changes suggest ART intervention has an improved structural effect. Protein expression of NFκB1 in DM + ART (100 mg/kg) group was decreased. TNF-α significantly decreased on DM + ART (50 mg/kg) and insulin group. We concluded that ART improves structural changes on lacrimal gland in diabetic rats. The present study provides further evidence that the therapeutic effect of ART on lacrimal gland of diabetic rats by decreased expression of NFκB1 and TNF-α.