Insulin-induced hypoglycemia and stress oxidative state in healthy people

The purpose of this study is to assess the immediate effects of insulin-induced hypoglycemia on the natural antioxidant superoxide dismutase activity, malondialdehyde concentration, total antioxidative capacity and total thiol group concentration in young healthy subjects. In this clinical trial, 16 healthy men with the mean age of 29.3 ± 5.3 years (range 21–39 years) became volunteers to participate the study. Hypoglycemia was induced by intravenous administration of regular insulin 0.1 U/kg. Before and after inducing hypoglycemia, SOD activity was determined in red blood cells, whereas the MDA concentration was determined by thiobarbituric acid reactive substance method, total thiol groups by high-performance liquid chromatography method and total antioxidant capacity by ferric reducing/antioxidant power. A significant increase was seen in the TBARS levels following insulin-induced hypoglycemia (0.19 ± 0.07 vs. 0.38 ± 0.16 nmol/g, P < 0.001), while a significant decrement occurred in the antioxidant power (FRAP value) (321.4 ± 63.4 vs. 231.4 ± 57.5, P < 0.001), total thiol concentration (2.3 ± 0.8 vs. 1.3 ± 0.5, P = 0.001) and SOD enzyme activity (29.4 ± 8.2 vs. 23.1 ± 6.1, P < 0.001) subsequent the hypoglycemia with insulin.