MECHANISM OF THE ANTIOXIDANT EFFECT OF BORDETELLA-PERTUSSIS EXTRACT

In order to gain insight into the antioxidant effect of the cell extra ct from Bordetella pertussis (strain 18-323, phase I) pancreatic antio xidant enzymes, glutathione (GSH), lipid conjugated dienes, DNA strand breaks in islet cells and the in vitro ROM scavenging potential of th e extract were studied in 18 hr-fasted mice after administration (i.v. ) of the extract (1 mg/kg body wt) 1 hr before alloxan treatment. The antioxidant enzymes activities as well as the glutathione content, whi ch were severely depleted in the alloxan group, were found to be signi ficantly restored in the extract treated group at the end of 48 hr. Mo reover, the extract arrested the two-fold increase in lipid conjugated dienes, the primary products of lipid peroxidation, and afforded sign ificant protection against DNA strand breakage in islet cells of pancr eas in alloxan diabetic mice. In addition, it caused a six-fold increa se in serum insulin levels of normal mice in 15 min and also demonstra ted an unique in vitro superoxide anion radical scavenging activity at a dose of 37.5 mu g/ml in 10 min. B. pertussis extract thus appears t o exert its antioxidant protection through stimulation of insulin rele ase from pancreas and hitherto unobserved intrinsic superoxide anion r adical scavenging ability.