Abstract
Free oxygen radicals (FOR) are hypothesized to take part in the destruction of the B-cell in type I diabetes (DM). As a volatile product of lipid peroxidation, we followed breath pentane (P)(Lipids 24: 157-9, 1989) twice weekly of 8 endogenously DM prone BB Wistar rats from the age of 45 d until 90 d of age. 12 age-matched non-DM rats served as controls (Co) and were measured between 50 and 90 days of age. Of them 6 were treated with streptozocin (STZ) 65 mg/kg intravenously at age of 75 d. DM was treated with insulin.
P of the Co group was constantly low 1.9 ± 0.8 pmol/100g/min (mean±SD). All STZ-rats developed DM within 36 h after injection. Omitting insulin for 4 d caused heavy ketosis on the 90th d of life. Despite this P remained at 1.5±0.7 pmol/100g/min. All BB-rats developed DM at 71.1±7.7 d. 35-20 d before glucosuria P was 2.1 ± 0.2, 10 d before onset of DM P rose to 2.9± 0.6 (p<0.005 from Co) and 1-25d after DM P was 5.3±0.6 pmol/kg/min (p<0.0001 from Co).
We propose that FOR have an important role during the destruction of B-cells in BB-rats developing diabetes. This mechanism is not reproduced by STZ toxicity.
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pitkänen, O., Martin, J., Hallman, M. et al. 16 PENTANE AS INDICATOR OF INCREASED LPID PEROXIDATION IN BB RATS DURING DEVELOPMENT OF INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETES. Pediatr Res 28, 279 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199009000-00040
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199009000-00040