Sesamin could prevent some abnormal changes in vascular reactivity in diabetic rats. - GreenMedInfo Summary
The sesame lignan sesamin attenuates vascular dysfunction in streptozotocin diabetic rats: Involvement of nitric oxide and oxidative stress.
Eur J Pharmacol. 2012 Oct 11. Epub 2012 Oct 11. PMID: 23063541
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
The effect of chronic administration of sesamin was studied on aortic reactivity of streptozotocin diabetic rats. Male diabetic rats received sesamin for 7 weeks 1 week after diabetes induction. Contractile responses to KCl and phenylephrine and relaxation response to acetylcholine were obtained from aortic rings. Maximum contractile response of endothelium-intact rings to phenylephrine was significantly lower in sesamin-treated diabetic rats relative to untreated diabetics and endothelium removal abolished this difference. Meanwhile, endothelium-dependent relaxation to acetylcholine was significantly higher in sesamin-treated diabetic rats as compared to diabetic ones and pretreatment of rings with nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester significantly attenuated the observed response. Two-month diabetes also resulted in an elevation of malondialdehyde and decreased superoxide dismutase activity and sesamin treatment significantly improved these changes. Therefore, chronic treatment of diabetic rats with sesamin could prevent some abnormal changes in vascular reactivity in diabetic rats through nitric oxide and via attenuation of oxidative stress and tissue integrity of endothelium is necessary for its beneficial effect.