Protective Action of Reduced Water Against Alloxan-Induced Cytotoxicity in Pancreatic β-Cell

Previous studies showed that reduced water (RW) such as electrolyzed-reduced water (ERW) and natural reduced water (NRW) scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), protected DNA from oxidative damage, and stimulated glucose uptake into myotubes and adipocytes. Here, we investigated that the protective mechanism of reduced water (RW) against alloxan-induced pancreatic β-cell damage using HIT-T15 cells, a clonal hamster β-cell line. Alloxan, a diabetogenic compound, is used to induce type 1 diabetes mellitus in animals. Its diabetogenic effect is exerted by the production of ROS. Hydrogen peroxide was detected during the incubation of HIT-T15 cells with alloxan, and this generation of hydrogen peroxide was prevented by RW. Alloxan-treated HTT-T15 cells caused β-cell damage with elevation of cytosolic free Ca2+, decrease of intracellular ATP level, inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin release. RW not only completely prevented alloxan-derived ROS but also prevented the decrease of intracellular ATP level, the increase of cytosolic Ca2+ and the inhibition of insulin secretion. RW partly blocked alloxan-induced lowering of the cell viability. These results suggest that RW protected pancreatic β-cell damage from the alloxan-derived oxygen radical generation. RW may be useful to prevent alloxan-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus.