title: Sulodexide improves endothelial dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats.
abstract: Diabetes mellitus is associated with many complications including retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy and angiopathy. Increased cardiovascular risk is accompanied with diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction. Pharmacological agents with endothelium-protective effects may decrease cardiovascular complications. In present study sulodexide (glycosaminoglycans composed from heparin-like and dermatan fractions) was chosen to evaluate its protective properties on endothelial dysfunction in diabetes. Effect of sulodexide treatment (SLX, 100 UI/kg/day, i.p.) in 5 and 10 weeks lasting streptozotocin-induced diabetes (30 mg/kg/day, i.p. administered for three consecutive days) was investigated. Animals were divided into four groups: control (injected with saline solution), control-treated with sulodexide (SLX), diabetic (DM) and diabetic-treated with sulodexide (DM+SLX). The pre-prandial and postprandial plasma glucose levels, number of circulating endothelial cells (EC) and acetylcholine-induced relaxation of isolated aorta and mesenteric artery were evaluated. Streptozotocin elicited hyperglycemia irrespective of SLX treatment. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes enhanced the number of circulating endothelial cells compared to controls. SLX treatment decreased the number of EC in 10-week diabetes. Acetylcholine-induced relaxation of mesenteric arteries was significantly impaired in 5 and 10-week diabetes. SLX administration improved relaxation to acetylcholine in 5 and 10-week diabetes. Diabetes impaired acetylcholine-induced relaxation of rat aorta irrespective of SLX treatment. Our results demonstrate that SLX treatment lowers the number of circulating endothelial cells and improves endothelium-dependent relaxation in small arteries. These findings suggest endothelium-protective effect of sulodexide in streptozotocin-induced diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic. viera.kristova@fmed.uniba.sk
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kristová
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Líšková
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sotníková
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vojtko
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurtanský
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; C007858:glucuronyl glucosamine glycan sulfate; D000109:Acetylcholine