Effect of lipoic acid on cyclophosphamide-induced diabetes and insulitis in non-obese diabetic mice.
In an animal model of type I diabetes, the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse, the influence of the antioxidant lipoic acid (LA) on the development of diabetes was investigated. Acceleration of diabetes development with cyclophosphamide (CY) resulted in 60% diabetic animals with severely infiltrated islets within 1-3 weeks. Daily administration of lipoic acid for 20 or 30 days around cyclophosphamide treatment suppressed the incidence of diabetes to 30% (P < 0.05) and 33%, respectively. Semiquantitative analysis of islet infiltration showed a reduction of severe intraislet infiltration and an increase in the percentage of islets with mild per-insular and periductular infiltrates (from 8.4 to 29.6 and 25.9%, respectively, P < 0.01) after lipoic acid treatment. These results show that the protective effect of lipoic acid on diabetes development correlates with partial suppression of islet inflammation. The anti-inflammatory action of lipoic acid may be due to its ability to scavenge oxygen radicals and to suppress nitric oxide production.
Faust
A
A
Diabetes Research Institute, University of Düsseldorf, Germany.
Burkart
V
V
Ulrich
H
H
Weischer
C H
CH
Kolb
H
H
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000633:toxicity; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D008063:Thioctic Acid; D003520:Cyclophosphamide