Effect of an inhibitor of nitric oxide production on Cu-Zn/SOD and its cofactors in diabetic rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an inhibitor of nitric oxide production, N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl esther (L-NAME) on Cu-Zn/SOD (superoxide dismutase) enzyme activity and copper and zinc concentrations in diabetes-induced rats. The control group consisted of 12 male albino Sprague-Dawley rats, 10-12 wk of age and weighing 300 g. Twenty-six albino Sprague-Dawley rats, 10-12 wk of age and weighing 315 g, constituted the experimental group. The experimental group was divided into two groups. The first group (n=12) constituted streptozotocininduced (55 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) diabetic rats and the second group (n=14) was administered L-NAME (1 mg/kg/d) after streptozotocin induction. For determination of Cu-Zn/SOD activity, spectrophotometry was used. Zinc and copper concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results showed that Cu-Zn/SOD activity was increased significantly in both experimental groups compared to controls, and the increase in the second group was higher than in the first group (p