Background: This investigation describes the relationship between glutathione peroxidase activities, an antioxidant enzyme, and the oxidative status in diabetic rat blood.
Methods: Malondialdehyde level and glutathione peroxidase activity were measured by spectrophotometric techniques.
Results and conclusions: Malondialdehyde content in the diabetic rats group was increased compared to that in the controls [3.08+/-0.32 (mean+/-S.E.) vs. 1.15+/-0.29 mM/g hemoglobin, P>0.01]. Glutathione peroxidase activity in the diabetic rats group was increased compared to that in the control [10.27+/-1.39 (mean+/-S.E.) vs. 3.14+/-0.38 micromol NADPH/min/g hemoglobin, P>0.01]. Our results show a positive correlation between serum glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde concentration in diabetic rats.