title: L-Arginine ameliorates oxidative stress in alloxan-induced experimental diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Oxidative stress occurs in diabetic patients and experimental models of diabetes. The ability of l-arginine to ameliorate the oxidative stress and metabolic changes after treatment with alloxan was investigated in rats. Adult male rats were injected intraperitoneally with 100 mg kg(-1) of alloxan to produce experimental oxidative stress characteristic of diabetes mellitus. Hyperglycaemia and hypercholesterolaemia were observed in serum after 7 days of alloxan treatment. This was associated with a depression of glutathione (GSH) concentration as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities in the liver and brain. In addition, the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) were significantly elevated, indicating increased lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in the same tissues. Administration of 100 mg kg(-1) l-arginine for 7 days either before or after alloxan injection significantly ameliorated the oxidative stress evidenced by a lower TBARS and a higher level of the endogenous GSH concentration and SOD and CAT activities than alloxan-treated rats. These effects were paralleled by marked protection and partial prophylaxis against alloxan-induced hyperglycaemia and cholesterolaemia. Thus, these results showed that exogenously administered l-arginine might improve the clinical manifestation of diabetes mellitus and decrease the oxidative stress in the liver and brain. In addition, the study supports the beneficial effect of l-arginine, which might be attributed to its direct, NO-dependent antioxidant capacity and/or NO-independent pathways.
authors.affiliation: Zoology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Mansoura University, Mansoura, A. R. Egypt. maelmissiry@yahoo.com
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: El-Missiry
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Othman
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Amer
mesh_terms: D000496:Alloxan; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D000496:Alloxan; D001120:Arginine; D002784:Cholesterol; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005978:Glutathione