title: The role of oxidative stress in diabetic cardiomyopathy: an experimental study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetes mellitus (DM) has a negative effect on cardiovascular functions. Little, however, is known of the overall effect of DM on the cardiac histology or the pathophysiological basis of this.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate the role of oxidative stress on the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy in an experimental model.
  
  
  METHODS
  12 week-old female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly allocated into a healthy control group (n=6) and an DM group (n=6). After 12 weeks of alloxan induced DM, the groups' cardiac tissues were histopathologically analyzed and examined for determination of oxidant and antioxidant enzymes [activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) and amount of reduced glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation (LPO)].
  
  
  RESULTS
  When compared to the control group, the DM group showed cardiomyopathic changes. In the DM group, activities of CAT (144 +/- 0.9 vs. 112 +/- 1.4, p < 0.05) and LPO amount (27.0 +/- 0.74 vs. 14.4 +/- 0, 20, p < 0.05) were significantly increased whereas activities of SOD (142 +/- 0.2 vs. 146 +/- 0.7, p < 0.05) and amount of GSH (3.48 +/- 0.01 vs. 3.73 +/- 0.01, p < 0.05) were significantly decreased when compared to the control group. Besides, activities of MPO (7.3 +/- 0.02 vs. 8.6 +/- 0.11, p < 0.05) were comparable between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using the experimental animal model, we were able to demonstrate that DM causes cardiomyopathic changes, and we propose that these changes could be mediated by an oxidative stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey. drenbiya@yahoo.com
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aksakal
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akaras
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Tanboga
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Halici
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Odabasoglu
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bakirci
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Unal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D058065:Diabetic Cardiomyopathies / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants