Lauric acid alleviates inflammation and structural changes in the lungs of type II diabetic male Wistar rats

Abstract

Lauric acid is a medium-chain fatty acid that has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Diabetic complication in the lungs is characterized by infiltration of inflammatory mediators and structural alteration of the lung parenchyma. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of lauric acid on leucocytes infiltration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α and lung histology of type II diabetic male Wistar rats. A total of thirty-five male Wistar rats were randomly divided into seven groups of five rats each as follows: Group I served as normal control; group II were normoglycemic rats, administered 125 mg/Kg bwt lauric acid. Group III served as diabetic control. Groups IV, V, VI and VII were diabetic Wistar rats treated with 125 mg/Kg bwt, 250 mg/Kg bwt, 500 mg/Kg bwt lauric acid and 100 mg/Kg bwt metformin respectively. The results obtained, showed a significant (P ≤ 0.05) increase in total white blood cell count and differential count of lymphocytes, neutrophils and macrophages in blood and BALF of the diabetic control compared to the normal control. However, there was a significant decrease in total and  differential white blood cell count in blood and BALF of the diabetic groups treated with lauric acid compared to the diabetic control (P ≤ 0.05). The concentration of TNF-α was significantly higher in the lungs of diabetic rats compared to the normal control, but the concentration was significantly reduced after treatment with lauric acid (P ≤ 0.05). Lauric acid also reversed the reduced alveolar spaces in diabetic lungs. These results indicate that lauric acid reduced inflammation and reversed the histoarchitectural alterations in the lungs of type II diabetic male Wistar rats.

Keywords: Lauric acid, Type II diabetes, Hyperglycemia, Lungs, Pneumopathy,
Leucocytes infiltration, Inflammation, Wistar rats