SALIVARY ANTIOXIDANTS IN HIGH FAT DIET-INDUCED INSULIN RESISTANCE RATS

OBJECTIVE: It appears that oxidative stress may act a key role in the development of insulin resistance (IR) and diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wistar rats were divided into two groups. One group was fed with a normal control diet (C), another one with a high fat diet (HFD) (59.8% fat, 20.1% protein, and 20.1% carbohydrates (kcal)) for 5 weeks. The performed analysis included: peroxidase (Px) activities, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD 2), uric acid (UA), total antioxidant status (TAS) and protein (Pc) concentrations. RESULTS: The specific activity of Px was significantly lower either in the parotid and the submandibular glands  when compared to the control glands. The level of CAT, SOD 2, and UA in the parotid glands of IR rats was significantly higher than in the control rats. The median values of the total amount of Px, CAT, SOD 2 and TAS were significantly elevated in the parotid than in the submandibular glands of the IR and control rats. CONCLUSIONS: IR may cause alternations of salivary glands of rats, however parotid and submandibular glands are characterized by different sensitivity to this damage. The main source of salivary antioxidants is parotid glands.