ERYTHROCYTE GLUTATHIONE S-TRANSFERASE ACTIVITY IN DIABETES MELLITUS : THE EFFECT OF THE TREATMENT

Hilmi ORHAN*, Gönül SAHIN*°

*Hacettepe University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, 06100 Sihhiye, Ankara, TURKEY.
°Corresponding Author

Summary :
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by abnormal metabolism, most prominently of carbohydrates, resulting in elevated blood glucose level in association with long-term vascular and neurological complications. The disorder may be related to the hyperproduction of free radicals and/or to a dysfunction of biological antioxidant systems because of low antioxidant enzymes activity or deficient micronutrients status.
Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is a potent intracellular detoxifier as it catalyzes the conjugations of the thiol group of glutathione (GSH) to foreign or biogenic cytotoxins. Although there are a number of investigations concerning the alterations of GSH system and GST activity in both chemically induced diabetic animals and in diabetic patients, the results are contradictory.
In this regard, the aim of the present study was to assess the erythrocyte GST activity in diabetics both treated with insulin (DTI) and not-treated with insulin (DNTI).
We found that the mean GST activity of the DNTI group was significantly lower than those of the healthy control group (p=0.0073).

Key words:
Glutathione S-transferase, Diabetes, Eryhrocyte, Human.