The effects of dietary caloric restriction on antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation in mild and severe streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

Background: Dietary caloric restriction (CR) without malnutrition is effective in the control of diabetes mellitus by stabilizing glucose homeostasis and enhancing glycemic control. Mild and severe streptozotocin-induced diabetic and non-diabetic rats were subjected to caloric restriction and ad libitum feeding to evaluate their effects on oxidative stress and lipid profile in the plasma of experimental animals. Methods: Mild and severe diabetes were induced in Male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of 35 and 65 mg/kg streptozotocin respectively. The experimental animals were subjected to 40% caloric restriction and ad libitum feeding for 9 weeks. Results: CR was effective in significantly reducing body weight, blood glucose, HbA IC and TG concentrations (all p<0.001) in mild diabetic rats and non-significantly improving the plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations. However, CR did not produce any significant effect on the antioxidant enzyme activities and MDA concentrations in all the groups nor in any of the parameters measured in non-diabetic rats except their overall weight change. There were significant ( p<0.001) decreases in body weight and non-significant fluctuating results in HbA IC and HDL-cholesterol in severe diabetic animals. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that caloric restriction is most effective in mild than in non-diabetic or severe diabetic animals.