Glutathione and glutathione peroxidase in type 1 diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVE: Diabetic (DM) patients are claimed to be under oxidative stress because of hyperglycemia. The influence of free radical production by this hyperglycemic induction may involve cardiovascular complications in diabetes. The present study aimed to compare the glutathione (GSH) level and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in type 1 DM and a normal healthy group.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: GSH level and GPx activity were determined in red cells of 20 subjects of type 1 DM containing fasting plasma glucose (FPG) > or = 140 mg/dL. Twenty healthy normal subjects with normal plasma glucose level (FPG < or = 110 mg/dL) and matched for gender and age served as the control group. These oxidative stress parameters of type 1 DM were compared to a control group by unpaired student's t-test. The association of these parameters with FPG was performed by Pearson product moment correlation.

RESULTS: The level of red cell GSH was significantly lower in type 1 DM (p = 0.011) but red cell GPx activity was significantly increased (p = 0.003) when compared to age-matched normal control. The decrement of red cell GSH may be due to the higher rate of consumption of GSH, increasing GPx activity or a reduction of pentose phosphate pathway, stimulated by insulin, resulting in lowered GSH recycle. The correlation between FPG and GSH in type I diabetic patients compared with healthy normal subjects was also observed and it was found that there was a negative correlation, but not found between FPG and GPx activity.

CONCLUSION: The present finding suggested that type 1 DM patients were susceptible to oxidative stress and higher blood glucose level had an association with free-radical-mediated lipid peroxidation. Therefore, any means that can reduce oxidative stress may be beneficial for slow progression of cardiovascular complication in type 1 diabetic patients.