title: Oxidative stress is not associated with vascular dysfunction in a model of alloxan-induced diabetic rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify if an experimental model of alloxan-diabetic rats promotes oxidative stress, reduces nitric oxide bioavailability and causes vascular dysfunction, and to evaluate the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on these parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Alloxan-diabetic rats were treated or not with NAC for four weeks. Plasmatic levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite/nitrate (NOx), the endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthase (eNOS and iNOS) immunostaining and the vascular reactivity of aorta were compared among diabetic (D), treated diabetic (TD) and control (C) rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MDA levels increased in D and TD. NOx levels did not differ among groups. Endothelial eNOS immunostaining reduced and adventitial iNOS increased in D and TD. The responsiveness of rings to acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside, and phenylephrine did not differ among groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NAC had no effect on the evaluated parameters and this experimental model did not promote vascular dysfunction despite the development of oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Cirurgia e Anatomia, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Verena Kise
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Capellini
authors.forename: Caroline Floreoto
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Baldo
authors.forename: Andréa Carla
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Celotto
authors.forename: Marcelo Eduardo
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Batalhão
authors.forename: Evelin Capellari
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Cárnio
authors.forename: Alfredo José
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Barbosa
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Evora
mesh_terms: D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000496:Alloxan; D000818:Animals; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D000496:Alloxan; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D000111:Acetylcysteine