[Oxidative-reductive processes in diabetes mellitus]

Altogether 70 patients with diabetes mellitus of medium severity were examined to determine sulfhydryl (SH) groups, total glutathione (tG) and its individual forms, reduced (rG) and oxidized (oG), cytochrome oxidase activity (CCO), blood and urine V-O, and underoxidation coefficient of the urine with respect to the degree of hyperglycemia and glucosuria. Effect of sugar-reducing therapy on these parameters was studied in 26 subjects. A statistically significant reduction in SH groups balance, in oG content at the expense of rG, increase in CCO activity, in the blood and urine V-O, and in underoxidation coefficient of the urine were detected. The observed changes depend on the sugar content in the blood and urine, and do not disappear even when normoglycemia and aglycosuria are achieved after the use of sugar-reducing drugs.