Blood levels of alloxan in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Alloxan is a well-known and universally used agent for evoking experimental diabetes through its toxic effect on the B cells of the Langerhans islets. In our study, blood levels of alloxan in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were investigated. The observations were made in 68 childr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta diabetologica 1994-12, Vol.31 (4), p.236-237
Main Authors: MROZIKIEWICZ, A, KIELCZEWSKA-MROZIKIEWICZ, D, ŁOWICKI, Z, CHMARA, E, KORZENIOWSKA, K, MROZIKIEWICZ, P. M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Alloxan - blood
Biological and medical sciences
Case-Control Studies
Child
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - blood
Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance
Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases)
Endocrinopathies
Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance
Free Radicals - blood
Humans
Medical sciences
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Summary:Alloxan is a well-known and universally used agent for evoking experimental diabetes through its toxic effect on the B cells of the Langerhans islets. In our study, blood levels of alloxan in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were investigated. The observations were made in 68 children aged 6-15 years and in a control group of 44 healthy children in the same age range. Alloxan levels were estimated spectrophotometrically. The mean level of alloxan in blood from children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was 8.76 +/- 9.64 micrograms/ml and in blood from healthy children was 1.53 +/- 1.10 micrograms/ml. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The metabolism of alloxan leads to the production of free superoxide radicals which, as is well known, injure cells and cause conditions conducive to the occurrence of diseases from autoimmunity. The results obtained suggest therefore that higher levels of alloxan in diabetic children are of significance in the onset of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
ISSN:0940-5429
1432-5233
DOI:10.1007/BF00571958