RESUMO
Little information is available about how the changes that occur around the time of menopause might affect management of diabetes mellitus .The present study investigates the metabolic consequences of estrogen deficiency with streptozotocin induced-diabetes. The study was performed on 130 female Wistar rats, allocated into 4 groups: control [Sham]; diabetic [STZ]; ovarectomized [OVX] and ovarectomized diabetic [OVX-STZ] .Rats were subjected to determination of body weight and body mass index [BMI]. Estimation of blood glucose, plasma levels of insulin, estradiol, leptin, malondialdehyde, lipids, atherogenic index as well as in vitro diaphragmatic glucose uptake and renal glucose output. OVX- STZ rats showed significantly lower body weight and BMI than OVX rats. Blood glucose level was significantly higher than Sham, STZ and OVX groups. Diaphragmatic glucose uptake significantly decreased, while renal glucose output significantly increased compared to OVX and Sham groups .Plasma lipid profile in OVX-STZ rats was worse than Sham, STZ and OVX groups as indicated by the significant increase in plasma triglycerides, total plasma cholesterol and LDL-c. Atherogenic index was significantly higher than Sham and OVX rats. Similarly, lipid peroxidation was significantly higher than Sham, STZ and OVX groups. Plasma insulin decreased significantly compared to Sham, STZ and OVX groups, while the decrease in plasma leptin was significant when compared to Sham group. The present study demonstrates that metabolic derangements of combined insulin and estrogen deficiency overweigh the derangement of either hormone deficiency in postmenopausal period