HEMORHEOLOGICAL ABNORMALITIES IN RATS WITH EXPERIMENTAL MILD DIABETES- IMPROVING EFFECT OF TROXERUTINE AND ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL

We investigated the effect of intravenous 2mM Troxerutine and 10mM alp ha-Tocopherol (Vitamin E) and their combination on erythrocyte aggrega tion and deformability, blood viscosity and leukocyte adhesivity in ra ts made mildly diabetic (fasting glycemia: 10mM vs 6mM in controls; Hb A1c: 6.5% vs 3% in controls) by a low dose of streptozotocin (35mg/kg) injected via the saphenous vein. In diabetic rats, as compared to con trols, erythrocyte aggregation and blood viscosity were dramatically i ncreased (disaggregation shear stress: 5.2 +/- 0.4 dynes/cm2 vs 3.7 +/ - 0.3 dynes/cm2 in controls), whereas erythrocyte deformability and me senteric blood flow were sharply decreased. Moreover, leukocyte adhesi vity was significantly increased. In diabetic rats, the combination of Troxerutine and Tocopherol improved all the above cited parameters. T hese data show that mild diabetes in rats results in many hemorheologi cal disorders that can be largely corrected by Troxerutine and alpha-T ocopherol.