Ozone partially prevents diabetic neuropathy in rats.

Neuropathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus. Although the beneficial effects of good blood glucose control on diabetic neuropathy are known, this control cannot completely prevent the occurrence and progression of diabetic neuropathy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ozone prevents diabetic neuropathy. 36 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=6): control (C), ozone (O), diabetic (D), ozone-treated diabetic (DO), insulin-treated diabetic (DI), and ozone- and insulin-treated diabetic (DOI). Diabetes was induced by a single injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg, intraperitoneal [i.p.]), after which insulin was administered (3 IU, i.p.) to the DI and DOI groups for 28 days, and 1.1 mg/kg (50 µg/ml) ozone was given to the O, DO, and DOI groups for 15 days. 4 weeks after the induction of diabetes, the nerve conduction velocity (NCV), amplitude of the compound action potential (CAP), total oxidant status (TOS), and total antioxidant status (TAS) were measured, and the oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. The NCV, amplitude of CAP, and TAS of the DI and DOI groups were higher than those of the D group; the amplitudes of CAP and TAS of the DO group were higher than those of the D group; and the TOS and OSI of the DO, DI, and DOI groups were lower than those of the D group. These findings indicate that ozone partially prevents diabetic neuropathy in rats. It appears that the preventive effects of ozone are mediated through oxidant/antioxidant mechanisms.

Vitamin E treatment enhances erythrocyte deformability in aged rats.

The harmful effects of aging on blood rheology have been well known. These effects in the aging have been found to be associated with an increase in oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to seek whether treatment of vitamin E as a potent antioxidant could improve the age-related haemorheological abnormalities. For this purpose, male Wistar rats at the age of 3 and 24 months were used. The following parameters were evaluated: red blood cell (RBC) deformability, aggregation, plasma viscosity, vitamin E level, total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS) and oxidative stress index (OSI), and the following results were obtained. First, aging was associated with a decrease in RBC deformability and increase in RBC aggregation and plasma viscosity. Second, compared with the young group, while plasma TOS levels and OSI were found to be significantly increased in aged rats, there was no significant change in their plasma TAS level. Third, vitamin E administration produced significant improvement in RBC deformability and decrement in TOS and OSI values in aged rats with respect to young and aged control groups. We did not find any significant effect of vitamin E treatment on RBC aggregation in both young and aged rats and finally, we found a significantly lower plasma vitamin E level in aged rats than in young rats. In conclusion, these findings suggest that blood rheology impairs with age and vitamin E has ameliorating effects on age-induced haemorheological abnormalities especially in RBC deformability, probably by reducing the increased oxidative stress in old age.