Interaction between oxidative stress and [delta]-linolenic acid in
the impaired neurovascular function of diabetic rats.
Cameron, Norman E., and Mary A. Cotter.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen
AB9 1AS, Scotland, United Kingdom
APStracts 3:0095E, 1996.
Nerve conduction and perfusion deficits in diabetic rats depend on
increased oxidative stress and impaired -6 essential fatty acid
metabolism, which are corrected by free radical scavenger and
[delta]-linolenic acid (GLA) rich oil treatments respectively. We
investigated the interaction between these mechanisms on conduction
velocity and endoneurial blood flow using low-dose antioxidant
(BM15.0639) and GLA treatments, alone and in combination. After 8
weeks of streptozotocin-diabetes, sciatic motor conduction velocity
was 20.9% reduced. Treatment with GLA or BM15.0639 for the final 2
weeks corrected this deficit by 18.5% and 20.0% respectively,
however, joint treatment caused 71.5% improvement, corresponding to a
7.5-fold amplification of individual drug effects. A 48.3% deficit in
sciatic nutritive endoneurial blood flow was corrected by 34.8% and
24.8% with GLA and BM15.0639 treatments respectively. With joint
treatment, the flow improvement of 72.5% was greater than expected
from individual drug effects, indicating a facilitatory interaction.
Thus, the synergistic effect of combined antioxidant / -6 essential
fatty acid treatment could potentially provide increased therapeutic
power against diabetic neuropathy.
Received 11 January 1996; accepted in final form 19 April 1996.
APS Manuscript Number E11-6.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 8 May 96