title: Total plasmatic homocysteine and von Willebrand factor in experimental diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the plasma homocysteine and von Willebrand factor levels as markers of endothelial dysfunction in rats with diabetes mellitus induced by streptozotocin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five adult male rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) (weight between 180-200 g) were randomized into three groups: control group (n=10), which received no drugs or vehicles; sham group (n=10), which received streptozotocin solution; and diabetic group (n=15), which received streptozotocin. Eight weeks after diabetes mellitus induction, the animals were weighed and anesthesized; blood samples were collected from abdominal aorta for plasma total homocysteine, von Willebrand factor and glucose levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The experimental model was reproducible in 100% of animals. The mean plasma homocysteine levels were: 7.9 micromol/l (control), 8.6 micromol/l (sham) and 6.1 micromol/l (diabetic), with difference among the groups (p<0.01). Multiple comparison analysis among the groups showed that values in the diabetic group were lower than in the sham group (p<0.01). The mean von Willebrand factor values were 0.15 U/l (control), 0.16 U/l (sham) and 0.18 U/l (diabetic), with difference among the groups (p=0.03). The mean value was higher in the diabetic group than in the control group (p<0.05). Correlation between homocysteine and von Willebrand factor was not observed in the diabetic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduced homocysteine levels and increased von Willebrand factor levels were observed in diabetes mellitus induced by streptozotocin; nevertheless, there were no correlations between them and with final glucose levels.
authors.affiliation: EPM, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. rdlopes@climed.epm.br
authors.forename: Renato Delascio
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Lindalva Batista
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Vânia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'Almeida
authors.forename: Gleice Margarete de Souza
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Conceição
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gabriel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood*; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D013311:Streptozocin; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D006710:Homocysteine; D013311:Streptozocin