The Effect of α-Lipoic Acid on Oxidative Stress in Adipose Tissue of Rats with Obesity-Induced Insulin Resistance.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Correlation between type 2 diabetes and other abnormalities such as obesity with redox balance disturbance was analyzed in many reports. Nonetheless, antioxidants impact on parameters accompanying these conditions is still unknown. Currently the role of redox imbalance in the adipose tissue has gained a lot of attention.

METHODS

We investigated the impact of α-lipoic acid (ALA) on plasma glucose and insulin concentrations, oxidative stress and inflammation parameters in the subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) adipose tissue of high fat diet-fed (HFD) rats. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 6) - control diet (CTRL), HFD and HFD with α-lipoic acid (HFD+ALA).

RESULTS

HFD increased body weight, plasma insulin and glucose as well as leads to oxidative stress parameters in the adipose tissue. ALA supplementation reduced body weight and oxidative stress parameters more effectively in the visceral than subcutaneous adipose tissue of insulin resistant rats.

CONCLUSION

Insulin resistance led to increased enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems, protein and lipid glycoxidation, nitrosative stress, and selected inflammatory parameters more in VAT than in SAT of insulin resistant rats. Moreover, ALA inhibited HFD consequences mainly in VAT mostly through glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis.