[Administration of multivitamin combinations and trace elements in diabetes]

Many free radicals are formed in diabetes mellitus due to the oxidative stress in hyperglykemia. The objective of the investigation was to evaluate the influence of an antioxidant mixture and trace elements on some biochemical parameters in controls and diabetic patients.

13 controls (6 men and 7 women, the average age was 53 years) and 9 diabetic patients (4 men and 5 women, the average age was 52 years) were supplemented with multivitamin mixture and trace elements with respect to antioxidant activities. Both groups received the same amount of the mixture, controls 50 days, diabetic patients 35 days. Blood samples were measured before and after the treatment. Renal, liver tests and acid-base balance were not influenced. Apolipoprotein A increased significantly (p < 0.05). Glycosylated hemoglobin in the diabetic group decreased significantly from 9.4 +/- 1.6 to 7.2 +/- 1.5 mumol fructose/g of hemoglobin (p < 0.01). In the diabetic group increased the levels of ionorganic phosphorus from 0.99 +/- 0.08 to 1.15 +/- 0.13 mmol/L (p < 0.01), zinc from 10.4 +/- 1.3 to 14.3 +/- 1.7 mumol/L (p < 0.01), copper from 20.3 +/- 2.3 to 25.9 +/- 6.3 mumol/L (p < 0.05) and selenium in blood from 0.96 +/- 0.21 to 1.65 +/- 0.38 mumol/L (p < 0.001). Selenium in blood of the control group increased from 0.88 +/- 0.26 to 1.66 +/- 0.34 mumol/L (p < 0.001). The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in diabetic group increased from 598 +/- 105 to 696 +/- 103 U/g of hemoglobin (p < 0.01), the activity of glutathion peroxidase (GSHPx) did not change, malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased from 7.1 +/- 1.1 to 5.8 +/- 1.1 mumol/L (p < 0.01) and uric acid decreased from 261 +/- 83 to 236 +/- 96 mumol/L (p < 0.01).

Multivitamin mixture with trace elements significantly protects diabetic patients and the control group against injurous actions of free radicals. That is confirmed by the decrease of plasmatic malondialdehyde and uric acid and by the increase of superoxide dismutase in erythrocytes. The decrease of glycosylated hemoglobin reduces the probability of diabetic complications, the increase of plasmatic Zn and Se in the diabetic group increased the plasmatic antioxidant ability.