Diabetes mellitus lipoic acid

Lipoic acid may be administered to treat heavy metal intoxication, to reduce signs of diabetic neuropathy, and to enhance glucose disposal in patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Lipoic acid is structurally similar and competes with biotin for cellular uptake by a sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) and, perhaps, displaces biotin from HLCS. Chronic administration of pharmacological doses of lipoic acid decreases the activities of PC and MCC in rat liver to 64-72% of controls (Zempleni et al. 2009). 

As in the case of other cardiovascular diseases, the possibility of antioxidant treatment of diabetes mellitus has been studied in both animal models and diabetic patients. The treatment of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats with a-lipoic acid reduced superoxide production by aorta and superoxide and peroxynitrite formation by arterioles providing circulation to the region of the sciatic nerve, suppressed lipid peroxidation in serum, and improved lens glutathione level [131]. In contrast, hydroxyethyl starch desferrioxamine had no effect on the markers of oxidative stress in diabetic rats. Lipoic acid also suppressed hyperglycemia and mitochondrial superoxide generation in hearts of glucose-treated rats [132],... 

Chemical, biological, and pharmacological properties of lipoic acid as well as its therapeutic effects in several diseases (diabetes mellitus, liver cirrhosis, polyneuritis, etc.) are reviewed [198,199], It is evident from the chemical structures of LA and DHLA that only DHLA may be an efficient scavenger of all oxygen radicals, while LA should be active only in the reactions with highly reactive hydroxyl radicals. On the other hand, DHLA must be easily... 

It should be mentioned that the inhibition of superoxide overproduction and lipid peroxidation by lipoic acid has been recently shown in animal models of diabetes mellitus. The administration of LA to streptozotocin-diabetic rats suppressed the formation of lipid peroxidation products [213], In another study the supplementation of glucose-fed rats with lipoic acid suppressed aorta superoxide overproduction as well as an increase in blood pressure and insulin resistance [214]. 

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