Background: As the hippocampus is the main brain region for many forms of learning and memory functions and is acutely sensitive to blood glucose changes, diabetes mellitus, which is a serious metabolic disease, is often accompanied by learning and memory deficits. Through scientific literatures, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) promote functional recovery in rats with traumatic brain injury, so the present work was conducted to study MSCs as a possible treatment for the diabetic neuronal degeneration and functional impairment of rat hippocampus.
Materials and methods: It was carried out using male albino rats: non-diabetic control groups (4, 8, 12 weeks) (n = 15), diabetic groups by i.v. injection of streptozotocin for (4, 8, 12 weeks) (n = 15) and MSCs treatment to diabetic groups for (8, 12 weeks) (n = 10). Hippocampal learning and memory functions were assessed by the Morris Water Maze test and its results were statistically analysed. The rat hippocampal regions (CA1 and CA3) were subjected to histological, ultrastructural examination and morphometrical analyse of pyramidal neurons.
Results: Neurons of the diabetic groups showed disturbed function and architecture; shrunken hyperchromatic nuclei and vacuolated eosinophilic cytoplasm (apoptotic changes) also MSCs treatment improved hippocampal learning and memory functions plus its architectural changes; increasing populations and normal regular distribution.
Conclusions: It can be concluded that diabetic hippocampal neuronal alternations and functional impairment can be ameliorated by MSCs treatment.
Keywords: diabetes; hippocampus; learning and memory; mesenchymal stem cells; neuronal alternations.