[Effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on oxidative stress in patients having diabetes mellitus type 2]

The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of breathing oxygen under high pressure on potential prooxidative activity in diabetic patients with serious vascular complications.

24 patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, were divided into two groups, 12 patients each, by degree of peripheral vascular complications (by Wagner's scale). The group I was composed of 4 women and 8 men, their average age being 70 years, and average diabetes duration of 12 years, without clinically manifest peripheral vascular complication (Wagner 0). The group II was composed of 4 women and 8 men, their average age being 74 years, and average illness duration of 17 years, having peripheral vascular complications, classified by Wagner's scale 1-5. Blood samples for biochemical analysis were taken before the therapy, then on the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 10th day of hyperbaric oxygenation treatment. The values of superoxide anion radical (O2-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and TBARS as a parameter of lipid peroxidation were measured during the HBOt. All examined patients were treated with the same therapy protocol (10 HBO treatments, under pressure of 1.7-2.2 bar, in duration of 60 minutes). The therapy was provided in monoplace oxygen hyperbaric chamber.

The obtained results show no statistically significant increase in the values of O2-, H2O2, TBARS during the HBOt compared to the values before the HBOt. However, O2-, H2O2 were significantly reduced after HBOt.

On the basis of these data, we can conclude that the use of oxygen under high pressure has no influence on the increased prooxidative activities in diabetic patients during and after HBOt, disregarding the degree of the present vascular damages.