ABSTRACT
Several recent studies indicate that oxidative stress is increased in diabetic patients. Oxidative stress is a major component in the development of late complications in diabetic patients (1-4). It is mainly based on hyperglyce mia. During the cellular metabolization of glucose, superoxide anions can be formed that shift the pro/antioxidative balance in blood (5,6). Intracellular activation of the polyol pathway produces an imbalance in the ratio of NADH/ NAD+. Elevated blood glucose concentrations also cause increased glycation of lipoproteins. Because of these factors, reactive oxygen species and lipoperoxides are formed in the blood of diabetic patients (7-12) and their lipo proteins are more prone to in vitro oxidation (13,14). Glucose can act prooxidatively on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in vitro (1,6,15,16). Impaired protection of lipid membranes against damage by free radicals is important in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DDDM) because islet cell destruction by leukocytes may be mediated through the generation of toxic oxygen radi cals (17).
