| Summary: | Persistent hyperglycemia is known to cause enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species in diabetes. Several inflammatory cytokines are induced by oxidative stress, and their release also leads to increased oxidative stress; this makes oxidative stress one of the important factors in the development of chronic inflammation and other immune responses. These have been implicated in the development of diabetic complications such as nephropathy and cardiomyopathy. <i>Anchomanes difformis</i> has been shown to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potentials. The present study investigated the immunomodulatory potential and the antiapoptotic ability of <i>Anchomanes difformis</i> to ameliorate heart toxicity and injury in type II diabetes. Two weeks of fructose (10%) administration followed by single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg) were used to induce type II diabetes in male Wistar rats. Leaf extract (aqueous) of <i>Anchomanes difformis</i> (200 and 400 mg/kg) was administered orally for six weeks. Blood glucose concentrations and body weights before and after interventions were determined. Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) were measured in the heart homogenates. Catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total protein, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) levels were determined. Expressions of transcription factors (Nrf 2 and NFkB/p65) and apoptotic markers were also investigated in the heart. <i>Anchomanes</i> <i>difformis</i> administration reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines, increased anti-inflammatory markers, and enhanced antioxidant defense in the heart of diabetic treated animals. <i>Anchomanes</i> <i>difformis</i> is a new, promising therapeutic agent that can be explored for the treatment of pathological conditions associated with immune responses and will be a useful tool in the management of associated diabetic complications.
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