The aim of this work was to determine the protective effects of intraperitoneally administered vitamin E and selenium (as
Na
2SeO
3, Se) on the lipid peroxidation as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and vitamin E levels, glutathione peroxidase
(GSH-Px), reduced glutathione (GSH) activities in the plasma, red blood cell (RBC), liver, and muscle of rats with streptozotocin-induced
diabetes. Fifty adult male Wistar rats were used and all rats were randomly divided into five groups. The first group was
used as a control and the second group as a diabetic control. A placebo was given to first and second groups by injection.
The third group was intraperitoneally administered with vitamin E (20 mg over 24 h), the fourth group with Se (0.3 mg over
24 h), and the fifth group with vitamin E and Se combination (COM) (20 mg vitamin E + 0.3 mg Se over 24 h). This administration
was done for 25 days and the TBARS, vitamin E, GSH-Px, GSH levels in the plasma, RBC, liver, and muscle samples were determined.
The vitamin E level in the plasma and liver was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the control than in the diabetic control group. Also, the TBARS levels in the RBC, liver, and muscle were
significantly (p < 0.05) lower in the control than in the diabetic control group. However, GSH-Px and GSH activities in RBC, liver, and muscle
were not statistically different between the control and the diabetic control groups. The vitamin E levels in plasma and liver
(p < 0.01 and p < 0.001) and GSH-Px activities (p < 0.01, p < 0.001) in RBC were significantly higher in vitamin E, Se, and COM groups than in both control and diabetic control groups.
However, the TBARS levels of RBC, muscle, and liver in vitamin E and Se administered groups were significantly (p < 0.05-p < 0.001, respectively) decreased. These results indicate that intraperitoneally administered vitamin E and Se have significant
protective effects on the blood, liver, and muscle against oxidative damage of diabetes.
Index Entries Selenium - vitamin E - diabetes - lipid peroxidation - liver
The abstract of this study was presented in Physiological Research
48(Suppl. 1), S99 (1999).