title: Comparative trial of N-acetyl-cysteine, taurine, and oxerutin on skin and kidney damage in long-term experimental diabetes.
abstract: This study analyzes the effect of chronic treatment with different antioxidants (N-acetyl-cysteine [NAC], taurine, a combination of NAC and taurine, and oxerutin) on long-term experimental diabetes induced by streptozotocin in rats. Glycoxidative damage was evaluated in the skin; glomerular structural changes were studied with morphometry and immunohistochemistry. Oxerutin treatment and the combined NAC plus taurine treatment resulted in reduced accumulation of collagen-linked fluorescence in skin in comparison with untreated diabetic rats. All treatments except taurine reduced glomerular accumulation of N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine and protected against the increase in glomerular volume typical of diabetes; furthermore, the apoptosis rate was significantly decreased and the glomerular cell density was better preserved. Glycoxidative markers in the skin turned out to be good indicators of the glomerular condition. The findings that emerged from our study support the hypothesis that glomerular damage in diabetes can be prevented or at least attenuated by supplementation with specific antioxidants. Treatment with oxerutin and combined treatment with NAC plus taurine gave the most encouraging results, whereas the results of taurine-only treatment were either negligible or negative and therefore suggest caution in the use of this molecule in single-drug treatment courses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Odetti
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Traverso
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Menini
authors.forename: Elena Pesce
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Maineri
authors.forename: Luana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cosso
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valentini
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patriarca
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cottalasso
authors.forename: Umberto M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Marinari
authors.forename: Maria Adelaide
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pronzato
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000473:pathology; D006896:Hydroxyethylrutoside / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D013654:Taurine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D006896:Hydroxyethylrutoside; D013654:Taurine; C005865:troxerutin; D003094:Collagen; D000111:Acetylcysteine