Pancreatic islet-cell viability, functionality and oxidative status remainunaffected at pharmacological concentrations of commonly used antibiotics in vitro

Environmental factors such as diet, physical activity, drugs, pollution and life style play an important role in the progression and/or precipitation of diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity and cardiovascular disorde rs. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics to combat infectious diseases is one of the commonest forms of misuse of drugs. Antibiotics seem to have a corre lation with diabetes and pancreatic function. There are controversial repor ts about the effect of antibiotics on the pancreatic islets; some suggestin g their harmless action, some depicting a beneficial role and others indica ting deleterious effect. Moreover, use of antibiotics is mandatory during i slet isolation and cultivation to reduce incidences of microbial contaminat ion. It is likely that antibiotic treatment may adversely affect islet viab ility and its functioning leading to failure of islet transplantation. The present in vitro study was undertaken to examine the effect of commonly use d antibiotics such as gentamycin, penicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, n eomycin, erythromycin and chloramphenicol on islet viability, its functioni ng and induction of oxidative stress if any. The viability and insulin prod uction data showed that none of the antibiotics used in the present study a ffect the viability and the functioning of the islets at their pharmacologi cal concentrations. Free radical levels measured in terms of melonyldialdeh yde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and reduced glutathione (GSH) reveal that exce pt for a marginal increase in lipid peroxidation with tetracycline and slig ht increase in NO levels with streptomycin, none of these antibiotics affec t the oxidative status of the cells. Antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase remain unaffected after this treatment. Our results reveal the innocuous nature of the antibiotics used at pharmacological con centrations, suggesting their safety whenever prescribed to combat infectio ns and also during islet isolation procedures.