AMELIORATION OF ALTERED ANTIOXIDANT STATUS BY SODIUM-ORTHOVANADATE AND AZADIRACHTA INDICA LEAF EXTRACT ON CARDIAC AND SKELETAL MUSCLES ANTIOXIDANT DEFENCE SYSTEM IN STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS.

Vanadate has been reported as an effective antidiabetic agent in oral treatment of diabetes in animal models. However, vanadate exerts hypoglycemic effects at relatively high dose and several toxic effects are produced. At low doses vanadate shows no toxicity but is unable to elicit any antidiabetic effect. We used low doses of vanadate in combination with Azadirachta indica leaf extract to reduce toxicity of vanadate and evaluate antidiabetic effects. In rats, diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (55 mg/kg body weight). Streptozotocindiabetic rats were treated separately with insulin, vanadate (0.6mg/ml), A.indica and with combined dose of vanadate (0.2mg/ml) and A.indica. At the end of the experiment, rats were sacrificed and plasma glucose levels and activities of Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and Glutathione reductase (GR) were determined in cytosolic fraction in heart and skeletal muscles. Diabetic rats showed hyperglycemic condition and alteration in antioxidant enzymes activities. Treatment with antidiabetic compounds resulted in restoration of enzymes activities to normal. Combined dose of vanadate and A. indica was found to be most effective in normalizing altered antioxidant enzymes system.