ABSTRACT
In order to gain insight into the antioxidant effect of the cell extract from Bordetella pertussis (strain 18-323, phase I) pancreatic antioxidant enzymes, glutathione (GSH), lipid conjugated dienes, DNA strand breaks in islet cells and the in vitro ROM scavenging potential of the extract were studied in 18 hr-fasted mice after administration (i.v.) of the extract (1 mg/kg body wt) 1 hr before alloxan treatment. The antioxidant enzymes activities as well as the glutathione content, which were severely depleted in the alloxan group, were found to be significantly restored in the extract treated group at the end of 48 hr. Moreover, the extract arrested the two-fold increase in lipid conjugated dienes, the primary products of lipid peroxidation, and afforded significant protection against DNA strand breakage in islet cells of pancreas in alloxan diabetic mice. In addition, it caused a six-fold increase in serum insulin levels of normal mice in 15 min and also demonstrated an unique in vitro superoxide anion radical scavenging activity at a dose of 37.5 micrograms/ml in 10 min. B. pertussis extract thus appears to exert its antioxidant protection through stimulation of insulin release from pancreas and hitherto unobserved intrinsic superoxide anion radical scavenging ability.