Modulatory Effect of Lovastatin on Therapeutic Efficiency of Conventional Antidiabetics on Pancreatic and Cardiovascular Complications of Diabetes

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to assess the possible modulatory effect of lovastatin (LOVA) on metformin (MET) and gliclazide (GLIC) on pancreatic and cardiovascular complications in rats with experimentally induced diabetes. Male Swiss rats were randomly assigned to seven groups.Group 1 served as normal control group. Group 2 served as diabetic control group, treated with streptozotocin (STZ) alone. Groups 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 received LOVA, MET, GLIC, LOVA plus MET and LOVA plus GLIC, respectively, for 30 consecutive days after treatment with STZ. To evaluate the modulatory effect of LOVA, blood glucose level was assessed coupled with pancreatic tissue levels of oxidative stress markers including thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) production, glutathione reduced (GSH) stores, total nitrite (NO2 -) production as well as glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities.Degree of lipid derangement was evaluated by measuring serum levels of 3-hydroxy-3-