MARIA MOHORA, MARIA GREABU, CORINA MUSCUREL, CARMEN DUŢĂ, ALEXANDRA TOTAN

Biochemistry Dept., “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, 8, Eroii Sanitari Blvd, 050474-Bucharest, Romania

Abstract. Oxidative stress, defined as an imbalance between reactive oxygen species production and breakdown by endogenous antioxidants, is closely associated with aging and a number of diseases including inflammation, carcinogenesis, and atherosclerosis. Also, it has been shown that oxidative stress plays a role in the progression of diabetes. Hyperglycemia, which occurs during diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) and, to a lesser extent, during insulin resistance, causes oxidative stress. Oxidative stress may be important in diabetes, not just because of its role in the development of complications, but because persistent hyperglycemia, secondary to insulin resistance, may induce oxidative stress and contribute to beta cell destruction in type-2 diabetes. Glucose control plays an important role in the prooxidant/antioxidant balance. A supplementation with antioxidants has been proposed as a complementary treatment, and some antidiabetic agents may by themselves have antioxidant properties independently of their role on glucose control. The aim of this paper was to review the sources and the targets of oxidative stress in the etiology of diabetic complications.
Key words: diabetes, oxidative stress, glycation, lipid peroxidation, antioxidants.

Corresponding author’s e-mail: mohoramaria@yahoo.com

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