Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37655263›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in veterinary science2023

Melatonin downregulates the increased hepatic alpha-fetoprotein expression and restores pancreatic beta cells in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model: a clinical, biochemical, immunohistochemical, and descriptive histopathological study.

Khalaf F Alsharif, Asmaa A Hamad, Mohamed A Alblihd, Fatma Abo Zakaib Ali, Sherine Ahmed Mohammed, Abdulrahman Theyab, Osama M Al-Amer, Malik Saad Almuqati, Abdulraheem Ali Almalki, Alaa Jameel A Albarakati and 6 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in veterinary science, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Antidiabetic effects of fennel leaf aqueous extract in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.Journal of pharmaceutical health care and sciences · 2025
    Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors at 9 institutions in 3 countries.

Khalaf F Alsharif *Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
Asmaa A HamadHigh Altitude Research Center, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
Mohamed A AlblihdHigh Altitude Research Center, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
Fatma Abo Zakaib AliDepartment of Pathology and Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.
Sherine Ahmed MohammedDepartment of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.
Abdulrahman TheyabDepartment of Laboratory and Blood Bank, Security Forces Hospital, Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Osama M Al-AmerDepartment of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Malik Saad AlmuqatiDepartment of Laboratory, King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulraheem Ali AlmalkiDepartment of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
Alaa Jameel A AlbarakatiSurgery Department, College of Medicine, Al-Qunfudah Branch, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Khalid J AlzahraniDepartment of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
Ashraf AlbrakatiDepartment of Human Anatomy, College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammad Hamed AlbarakatiCardiology Department, King Abdullah Medical Complex, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Doaa AbassZoology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.
Maha S LokmanDepartment of Biology, College of Science and Humanities in Al-Kharj, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.
Ehab Kotb Elmahallawy *Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Grupo de Investigación en Sanidad Animal y Zoonosis (GISAZ), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.
Taif University · SASohag University · EGAlfaisal University · SAHelwan University · EGKing Abdullah Medical City · SAKing Fahd Armed Forces Hospital · SAUmm al-Qura University · SAUniversity of Córdoba · ESUniversity of Tabuk · SA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder. Hepatopathy is one of the serious effects of DM Melatonin (MT) is a potent endogenous antioxidant that can control insulin output. However, little information is available about the potential association between melatonin and hepatic alpha-fetoprotein expression in diabetes. Objective: This study was conducted to assess the influence of MT on diabetes-related hepatic injuries and to determine how β-cells of the pancreas in diabetic rats respond to MT administration. Materials and methods: Forty rats were assigned to four groups at random (ten animals per group). Group I served as a normal control group. Group II was induced with DM, and a single dose of freshly prepared streptozotocin (45 mg/kg body weight) was intraperitoneally injected. In Group III, rats received 10 mg/kg/day of intraperitoneal melatonin (IP MT) intraperitoneally over a period of 4 weeks. In Group IV (DM + MT), following the induction of diabetes, rats received MT (the same as in Group III). Fasting blood sugar, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and serum insulin levels were assessed at the end of the experimental period. Serum liver function tests were performed. The pancreas and liver were examined histopathologically and immunohistochemically for insulin and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) antibodies, respectively. Results: MT was found to significantly modulate the raised blood glucose, HbA1c, and insulin levels induced by diabetes, as well as the decreased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Furthermore, MT attenuated diabetic degenerative changes in the pancreas and the hepatic histological structure, increased the β-cell percentage area, and decreased AFP expression in the liver tissue. It attenuated diabetes-induced hepatic injury by restoring pancreatic β-cells; its antioxidant effect also reduced hepatocyte injury. Conclusion: Collectively, the present study confirmed the potential benefits of MT in downregulating the increased hepatic alpha-fetoprotein expression and in restoring pancreatic β-cells in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model, suggesting its promising role in the treatment of diabetes.

Indexed as

alpha-fetoprotein expressiondiabeteshistopathologylivermelatoninSTZ

Identifiers

PMID37655263
PMCPMC10467430
OpenAlexW4385994610

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.