Anti-peroxidative enzymes in diabetes mellitus

Fasting plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, malonyldialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase levels of 50 type I and 50 type II diabetic patients and 50 normal healthy age and sex matched nondiabetic subjects were determined. Erythrocytes of diabetic subjects [both type I and type II] were found to have three fold higher levels of TBA reactive malonyldialdehyde. The erythrocyte antiperoxidative enzymes, glutathione peroxidase and catalase increased significantly [p<0.001], while superoxide dismutase activity lowered significantly in the diabetic patients as compared with sex and age matched non diabetic subjects. This shows that, in diabetes, the peroxidation is increased while the activities of glutathione peroxidase and cata1ase are increased with a significant decrease in the activity of superoxide dismutase

Leukocyte protein-bound carbohydrate components in diabetes mellitus

The protein bound components [hexose, hexosamine and sialic acid] in the leukocytes of type I type II diabetic patients and age and sex matched non-diabetic subjects were determined. The mean values of plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin of type I patients were 201 +/- 39 mg/d1 and 11.7 +/- 2.48% respectively. The repective values of type II patients were 176 +/- 39 mg/dl and 11.34 +/- 2.1%. The levels of hexose, hexosamine and sialic acid were significantly higher in diabetic patients than those of age and sex matched non-diabetic control subjects. The increased protein bound carbohydrate components may cause an increase in the levels of glycoprotein material which might result in the thickening of the basement membranes characteristic of diabetes mellitus

Leukocyte lipids in diabetes mellitus

The lipid composition and the activities of cholesterol ester hydrolase [CEH] and cholesterol ester synthetic [CES] in the leukocytes of type I and type II diabetic patients and age and sex matched non diabetic healthy subjects were determined. The mean values of fasting plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin of type I patients were 201 +/- 39mg/dl and 11.7 +/- 2.48% respectively. The respective values of the type II patients were 176 +/- 39 mg/dl and 11.34 +/- 2.1%. The levels of cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides in the plasma as well as in the leukocytes of the diabetic patients were significantly higher than those of the age and sex matched non-diabetic subjects [p <0.001]. In the diabetic patients, the activity of leukocyte CEH decreased significantly [p <0.001], while the activity of CES increase significantly [p <0.001] as compared with the non-diabetic counterparts. As expected, this resulted in a decrease in the ratio CEH/CES in diabetic patients. The increased levels of lipid components and a decrease in the CEH/CES ratio of the leukocytes might be considered as an important step in the genesis of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease in diabetes mellitus