Pathological examination of the relationship between diabetes mellitus and hypercortisolemia

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important metabolic disease that occurs with the destruction of beta cells in the pancreas or the reduction of insulin receptors in the pancreas, and its incidence is gradually increasing. Hypercortisolemia is defined as a higher than normal level of cortisol hormone in the blood due to endogenous or exogenous causes. It is known that high cortisol levels in the blood can trigger DM by destroying insulin receptors and reducing insulin sensitivity. Similarly, DM may disrupt some hormonal functions and cause an increase in cortisol levels in the blood. In this study, it was aimed to pathologically examine the relationship between DM and hypercortisolemia and the changes occurring in the pancreas and adrenal glands. In this study, totally thirty Wistar albino male rats were used. Rats were divided into three groups and the study was completed in one month. The rats in the first group did not receive any treatment and were kept as the control group. Diabetes was formed by oral administration of streptozotocin (20 mg/kg) to the rats in the second group. The rats in the third group were given prednisolone (10 mg/kg/day) subcutaneously every day for a month to induce hypercortisolemia. At the end of one month, the rats were euthanized. Pancreas and adrenal samples were collected for histopathological examination, and blood samples were taken to evaluate serum glucose, insulin and cortisol levels. Degenerative and necrotic changes were noted in the cells in the central areas of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreatic samples of the diabetes group. During the histopathological examination of the adrenal gland samples of the rats in this group, no other finding was detected other than mild thickening of the cortex. Infection and abscesses formations associated with suppression of the immune system were observed in the hypercortisolemia group. Histopathological examination of pancreatic samples of this group revealed mild degeneration and necrosis in the cells of the islets of Langerhans. At the histopathological examination the adrenal glands samples of this group, significantly thinned cortices were observed. The results of this study showed that DM triggered hypercortisolemia and hypercortisolemia triggered DM.