Abstract
The cumulative incidence of type 2 in a diabetic model (SDT) rat has been shown to be much higher in males than in females. We examined the effect of sex hormones on diabetic features, body weight, plasma glucose concentration and pancreas histopathology, in castrated females and castrated females followed by injection of estrogen until 26 weeks of age. The body weights in castrated females were significantly greater than sham-operated females and castrated females with estrogen injection. On the other hand, they were lower in castrated females with estrogen injection than in castrated females and sham-operated females. Castrated females with estrogen injection had plasma glucose concentrations that were significantly lower than castrated females and sham-operated females. Histopathologically, inflammatory cell infiltration, proliferation of fibroblasts and hemosiderin deposition were observed in and around pancreatic islets in sham operated females and they were aggravated in castrated females. In castrated females with estrogen injection, these changes were seldom observed. These results suggest that female estrogen play a preventive role in diabetic pathogenesis in female SDT rats.
