Jpn. J. Pharmacol. 75 (3), 267-273 (1997)


Lipid Peroxidation in the Pancreas and Other Organs in Streptozotocin Diabetic Rats

Rie Tatsuki (1), Kumi Satoh (1), Atsuko Yamamoto (1), Katsuji Hoshi (1) and Kazuo Ichihara (1,2,*)


(1) Department of Pharmacology, Hokkaido College of Pharmacy, 7-1 Katsuraoka, Otaru 047-02, Japan
(2) Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Asahikawa Medical College, 4-5 Nishikagura, Asahikawa 078, Japan
(*) To whom correspondence should be addressed (1).

Abstract: We studied the relationship between changes in lipid peroxides and those in catalase activity in pancreases, livers and hearts of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Animals were killed 2 or 7 weeks after saline or streptozotocin (32 mg/kg, i.v.) injection. The levels of blood glucose and plasma insulin in the 2-week streptozotocin-treated rats were 176.8+/-20.5 mg/dl and 29.9+/-3.2 microU/ml, respectively. In the pancreas, the lipid peroxide level significantly decreased and the catalase activity significantly increased 2 weeks after streptozotocin injection. These changes recovered after 7 weeks. In the heart, the lipid peroxide level significantly increased without any change of catalase activity 2 weeks after the initiation of diabetes. After 7 weeks, the catalase activity significantly increased and the lipid peroxide level returned to the control level. In the liver, there was no change in the lipid peroxides and catalase in the 2-week streptozotocin-treated rats, whereas the catalase activity significantly increased 7 weeks after the injection. It was suggested that the defense system in the pancreas to oxidative stress may be evoked in an early stage of streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Keywords: Streptozotocin, Lipid peroxide, Catalase, Liver, Heart


Copyright© The Japanese Pharmacological Society 1997

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