PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF SCHISANHENOL AGAINST ALLOXAN-INDUCED INHIBITION OF GLUCOSE-STIMULATED INSULIN RELEASE

The dibenzocyclooctene lignan schisanhenol displays antioxidant activi ty in several experimental models. In the present study, schisanhenol (0.1-0.2 mM) protected partially rat pancreatic islets against the inh ibitory action of alloxan on glucose-stimulated insulin release. In is lets re-incubated for 30 min in the presence of schisanhenol, the rati o in insulin output over 90 min incubation in the presence of 16.7 mM D-glucose, between islets exposed to alloxan (0.66 mM) during the last 15 min of pre-incubation and those not exposed to the diabetogenic ag ent, averaged 142.2 +/- 7.0% of that recorded, under the same experime ntal conditions in islets pre-incubated in the absence of schisanhenol . These findings further underline the potential benefit of this non-t oxic lignan as a preventive or therapeutic tool in situations characte rized by oxygen radical-induced damages. (C) 1998 Lippincott-Raven Pub lishers.