Sucralose induced pancreatic toxicity in albino rats: Histomorphological evidence

Abstract

In the present world people have become conscious of the fact that sugar is one of the commonest culprits for gain in weight and blood sugar in diabetes. One of the artificial sweetener, sucralose is widely used by diabetics is still under strict scrutiny because of the contradictory feedbacks obtained from various studies, often discouraging its use. Therefore, there arises a need to check whether the use of sucralose is safe or not. The present study was designed to determine to evaluate and compare the histological changes of sucralose on the islets of pancreas in albino rats. Methods: The adult Wistar albino rats were given sucralose orally by gavage in the dose of 3gms/kg body weight/day dissolved in distilled water and only distilled water for 30 days to experimental and control groups respectively. The animals were weighed prior to and after the experiment. The animals were sacrificed on day 31. The pancreas was dissected and observed grossly. Tissue was processed; paraffin blocks were prepared and 8 micron thick sections were cut. Sections were stained with Haemotoxylin and Eosin and Gomori's stains. Results: Pancreatic toxicity was observed in the form of vaculation of islets, lymphocytic infilterate, degeneration of islets and acini of Pancreas. The commonly used non-lethal dose of sucralose induced damage to Pancreas is startling. Conclusion: The results obtained have wide implications for nutrient sensing and nutrition in the treatment of obesity and diabetes.

Keywords

diabetes - pancreas - sucralose - toxicity