Changes in prooxidant-antioxidant balance in tissues of rats following long-term hyperglycemic status.

INTRODUCTION: Reactive oxygen species play an important role in the pathogenesis of organ damage in diabetes mellitus. Streptozotosin (STZ) is a commonly employed compound to produce diabetes mellitus and these animals exhibit most of diabetic complications. METHODS: In our study, diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ at a dose of 50 mg/kg in rats and they were killed 12 weeks after STZ. Endogenous lipid peroxide levels, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants were measured in liver, heart, kidney, brain, and testis tissues to investigate the effect of long-term hyperglycemic state. The susceptibility of diabetic tissues to oxidative stress was also examined in in vitro oxidizing system containing ascorbic acid and iron. RESULTS: We found that prooxidant and antioxidant balance has changed in favor of prooxidation in the tissues of diabetic rats. The susceptibility of liver to oxidative stress increased; however, this susceptibility did not change in heart, kidney, brain, and testis of diabetic rats. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that long-term hyperglycemic state disturbs hepatic prooxidant-antioxidant balance at an earlier period and more pronouncedly than other tissues.

The relation between serum leptin levels and max VO2 in male patients with type I diabetes and healthy sedentary males.

This study aimed at investigating leptin levels in male diabetes type I patients who were on insulin treatment and also healthy sedentary males. The study included 10 male type I diabetes patients and 17 healthy sedentary males. Leptin levels of type I diabetes patients and healthy sedentary males with body mass index (BMI) over 25 kg/m2 were evaluated separately. The relation between serum leptin, max VO2, blood lactic acid levels before and after exercise, and effort durations of participants were investigated. At the end of the tests, no difference was found between leptin levels, max VO2 values, lactic acid values before exercise, and test durations of male type I diabetes patients and healthy sedentary males (p > .05), whereas lactic acid levels after exercise were found to be lower in healthy sedentary males (p < .05). Leptin levels in the group with BMI above 25 kg/m2 were higher than those in the group with BMI below 25 kg/m2 (p < .001). It was also seen that max VO2 values and test durations were higher in the group with BMI below 25 kg/m2 (p < .05). In conclusion, leptin levels of male type I diabetes patients are close to those of healthy sedentary males. The increase in leptin levels in both groups is in proportion to the BMI of individuals.

Lessons learnt from influences of the Marmara earthquake on glycemic control and quality of life in people with type 1 diabetes.

To examine the short- and long-term influences of the Marmara earthquake, which occurred on August 17, 1999 in Turkey, on glycemic control and quality of life (QOL), HbA1c, insulin requirement and QOL of 88 people with type 1 diabetes living in the quake zone were evaluated one year before (PreE), 3 months after (PostE) and one year after (FE) the earthquake. HbA1c levels and daily insulin requirements increased significantly at PostE (HbA1c from 7.4 +/- 1.3% to 8.5 +/- 1.8%, p<0.05; insulin from 0.58 +/- 0.2 IU/kg/day to 0.77 +/- 0.2 IU/kg/day, p<0.05). Mean total QOL scores at PostE were significantly lower than the scores obtained at PreE (62.7 +/- 17.3 vs 74.2 +/- 13.4, p<0.001). There were no significant differences between HbA1c levels and total QOL scores at PreE and FE. People with type 1 diabetes living in the same house after the earthquake and not having enough food supply were reported to have lower QOL than people moving to another house and having enough food supply after the earthquake (p = 0.014, p<0.0001, respectively). The Marmara Earthquake had a negative impact on the glycemic control and QOL of the subjects with type 1 diabetes for the short term but prequake scores might be achieved after a long period.

Diabetes education: a chance to improve well-being of Turkish people with type 2 diabetes.

To examine the influence of diabetes education on well-being, 255 patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited according to whether they attended a diabetes education program (n=126) or not (n=129). In patients who had participated in the program, the mean anxiety score was significantly lower, whereas positive well-being and general well-being scores were significantly higher than for patients who had not participated. Factors related to lower well-being included: being female, taking insulin, not attending a diabetes education program and having HbA(1c) level greater than 8%. The odds of having better well-being were two-fold higher in patients participating the diabetes education program compared with those who had not. Diabetes education has a crucial role in improving the well-being of patients with type 2 diabetes. All patients with diabetes should be encouraged to attend a diabetes education program.

Population-based study of diabetes and risk characteristics in Turkey: results of the turkish diabetes epidemiology study (TURDEP).

OBJECTIVES: To investigate for the first time the prevalence of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) nationwide in Turkey; to assess regional variations and relationships between glucose intolerance and lifestyle and physical risk factors. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The Turkish Diabetes Epidemiology Study (TURDEP) is a cross-sectional, population-based survey that included 24,788 subjects (age > or =20 years, women 55%, response 85%). Glucose tolerance was classified according to World Health Organization recommendations on the basis of 2-h blood glucose values. RESULTS: Crude prevalence of diabetes was 7.2% (previously undiagnosed, 2.3%) and of IGT, 6.7% (age-standardized to world and European populations, 7.9 and 7.0%). Both were more frequent in women than men (P < 0.0001) and in those living in urban rather than rural communities (P < 0.001). Prevalence rates of hypertension and obesity were 29 and 22%, respectively. Both were more common among women than men (P < 0.0001). Prevalence of diabetes and IGT increased with rising BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist girth (P < 0.0001). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age, BMI, WHR, familial diabetes, and hypertension were independently associated with diabetes, age, BMI, WHR, familial diabetes, and hypertension with IGT (except for familial diabetes in women with IGT). Education was related to diabetes in men but was protective for diabetes and IGT in women. Socioeconomic status appeared to decrease the risk of IGT in men while it increased the risk in women. Smoking had a protective effect for IGT in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes and IGT are moderately common in Turkey by international standards. Associations with obesity and hypertension have been confirmed. Other lifestyle factors had a variable relationship with glucose tolerance.

Sexual dysfunction in type II diabetic females: a comparative study.

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is considered to play a principle role in the etiopathogenesis of sexual dysfunction both in men and women. The aim of this study is to evaluate sexual function in Type II diabetic women. A total of 72 young diabetic women (mean age: 38.8 years) with no other systemic diseases and 60 age-matched healthy women were enrolled in our study. We sought from them a detailed medical and sexual history and used the Index of Female Sexual function (IFSF) questionnaire (Kaplan et al., 1999). The mean IFSF score of diabetic women was 29.3 +/- 6.4 and was 37.7 +/- 3.5 in normal cases (p < 0.05). Lack of libido was the most common symptom in diabetics and was observed in 77% of the women. Diminished clitoral sensation was observed in 62.5% of the women, 37.5% complained of vaginal dryness and 41.6% had vaginal discomfort. Orgasmic dysfunction was found in 49% of the women. The incidence of all these related symptoms were significantly higher when compared to controls. We concluded that significant percentage of diabetic women that we observed experience sexual dysfunction of varying degrees that diminishes their quality of life.