RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: We studied the effect of acetyl-l-carnitine plus nicotinamide (AC + N) on murine diabetes mellitus induced by multiple low doses of streptozotocin. METHODS: Male C57BL/6J inbred mice were injected intraperitoneally with citrate buffer or streptozotocin (40 mg/kg) for 5 consecutive days, followed by injections of saline solution or AC + N (50 + 25 mg/kg) from days 6 to 110. Four groups were studied: normal control mice (C), treated normal control mice (TC), diabetic mice (D), and treated diabetic mice (TD). TD group was divided into 2 at day 86; treatment was suspended in one group (TDs) and continued in the other until day 110. RESULTS: Weight, plasma glucose, plasma insulin, cellular immune aggression, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from perifused pancreatic slices, and pancreas histology were studied in each experimental group. Diabetic mice treated with AC + N showed improvements in weight, plasma glucose, and plasma insulin levels without mortality, reaching control values at day 110. Cellular immune aggression and insulin release from pancreatic slices perfusions improved without reaching control values. Histology showed that insulin-immunostained area, the index of insulin immunostained beta cells and beta-cell size, was normalized at the end of the study. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment with AC + N induced remission of autoimmune type 1 diabetes in mice produced by multiple low doses of streptozotocin.
