Background and Aim: Peripheral and central nervous system neuropathy occur in chronic diabetes with uncontrolled hyperglycemia. Beneficial effects of sodium valproate have been demonstrated in neurodegenerative diseases. Sodium valproate has neuroprotective and regenerative effects via modifications in gene expression. In this study, we investigated effects of sodium valproate on the modifications in the hippocampal levels of NF-KB, AP-1, S100B and GFAP as a consequence of alloxan induced diabetes.
Material and Methods: This experimental study included 24 adult male C57B15/J mice. Diabetes was induced by injection of alloxan (150 mg/kg; i.p.). Sodium valproate was administrated (100 mg/kg; i.p) every 72 hours for two months. Fasting blood sugar levels were measured at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. Then animals were killed, their hippocampuses were extracted and prepared for measurement of biochemical factors by ELISA kits.
Results: Increased blood glucose levels due to alloxan induced diabetes were significantly reduced following sodium valproate administration (P<0.05). Also, chronic sodium valproate administration in diabetic animals significantly reduced elevated levels of hippocampal NF- KB, S100B and GFAP (P<0.05). Conclusion: It seems that sodium valproate can adjust diabetes induced modifications in the biochemical factors of the hippocampus which are indicators of cell damage, and maybe effective in prevention of diabetic neuropathy