Investigation of the effects of chrysin on VDAC1 expression in pancreatic beta cells in an experimental diabetes model

Diabetes mellitus plays a critical role in disease progression by causing structural and functional impairments in pancreatic beta cells. Although chrysin, a naturally occurring flavonoid compound, has been reported to exhibit antidiabetic, antioxidant, and various cytoprotective effects in several studies, its effects on Voltage- Dependent Anion Channel (VDAC1) expression in endocrine cells under diabetic conditions have not yet been elucidated. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the potential protective effects of chrysin on VDAC1 levels, insulin synthesis, and apoptotic markers in the pancreatic tissue of streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic rats. In this study, a total of 32 adult male Wistar Albino rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8): control (K), chrysin (CHR), diabetes (DM), and diabetes + chrysin (DM+CHR). Diabetes was induced in the DM and DM+CHR groups by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (45 mg/kg) on day 0, and hyperglycemia was confirmed by blood glucose measurements on day 3. Chrysin was administered to the CHR and DM+CHR groups at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day via the intragastric route for 21 consecutive days. Blood glucose levels and body weights were monitored on days 0, 3, 10, 17, and 24 throughout the experimental period. The results of this thesis study demonstrated that the DM group exhibited a significant increase in blood glucose levels accompanied by a marked decrease in body weight. In contrast, the DM+CHR group showed a statistically significant improvement in hyperglycemia and attenuation of weight loss. At the end of the experiment, pancreatic tissues were harvested and subjected to histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. Histological evaluations revealed pronounced islet degeneration and cellular loss in the diabetic group, whereas chrysin treatment markedly ameliorated these pathological alterations. Immunohistochemical analyses using antibodies against VDAC1, insulin, and caspase-3 demonstrated a significant decrease in insulin expression and a significant increase in caspase-3 and VDAC1 expression in the DM group compared to the control group. Conversely, the DM+CHR group exhibited a significant increase in insulin expression and a significant reduction in caspase-3 and VDAC1 activity compared to the DM group. In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that chrysin possesses potential protective effects against STZ-induced diabetic damage by supporting cellular functions, modulating VDAC1 expression, and contributing to the reduction of diabetes-associated apoptosis in pancreatic tissue.