Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Aston University, Mechanisms of Drug Toxicity Group, School of Pharmacy, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK.
Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2001 Sep;10(4):167-72. doi: 10.1016/s1382-6689(01)00080-1.
Lipoic acid and its reduced derivative, dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) are highly promising antioxidant agents, which are potent attenuators of reactive species-mediated damage in vitro and in animal studies. Lipoic acid is a universal antioxidant, effective in lipophilic and aqueous environments. In contrast to an equivalent endogenous agent, such as oxidised glutathione (GSSG), lipoic acid acts as an antioxidant in its oxidised form. Lipoic acid has been evaluated in diabetic polyneuropathy, a condition which is thought to result in part from oxidant damage caused by long-term hyperglycaemia. Diabetic patients are prone to incur enhanced cellular free radical formation and reduced antioxidant defence. Treatment with lipoic acid has improved nerve conduction velocity during studies in diabetic animals. Trials in diabetic patients have often observed some relief of neuropathic symptoms during treatment with lipoic acid, but consistent objective benefits have been difficult to establish. Lipoic acid is now used in Germany for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy and definitive evidence of efficacy should arise from postmarketing surveillance studies. It is possible that lipoic acid may be more effective as a long-term dietary supplement aimed at the prophylactic protection of diabetics from complications.
硫辛酸及其还原形式二氢硫辛酸 (DHLA) 是非常有前途的抗氧化剂，它们是体外和动物研究中活性物质介导的损伤的有效调节剂。硫辛酸是一种通用的抗氧化剂，在亲脂性和水相环境中都有效。与等效的内源性物质（如氧化型谷胱甘肽 (GSSG)）不同，硫辛酸在氧化形式下作为抗氧化剂发挥作用。硫辛酸已在糖尿病多发性神经病中进行了评估，这种情况部分归因于长期高血糖引起的氧化剂损伤。糖尿病患者容易发生细胞自由基形成增强和抗氧化防御减少。在糖尿病动物研究中，用硫辛酸治疗可改善神经传导速度。在糖尿病患者中进行的试验中，在用硫辛酸治疗期间经常观察到神经病变症状有所缓解，但很难确定一致的客观益处。硫辛酸现已在德国用于治疗糖尿病性神经病，应从上市后监测研究中得出疗效的确凿证据。硫辛酸作为一种长期的饮食补充剂，旨在预防糖尿病患者的并发症，可能更有效。
