The work is focused on clarifying the impact of diabetes and natural plant polyphenols contained in Pycnogenol® (PYC) on the activity and synthesis of Cu/Zn-SOD and synthesis of nNOS and eNOS in the cerebellum and cerebral cortex in rats with induced diabetes. Rats included in the study (n=38) were divided into three groups: the controls (C), (n=7), untreated diabetics (D) (n=19) and diabetic rats treated with PYC (DP) (n=12). Diabetes significantly decreased synthesis, as well as the activity of Cu/Zn-SOD in both studied parts of the brain. PYC significantly increased the synthesis of Cu/Zn-SOD but had no effect on its activity. Diabetes also reduced the synthesis of nNOS in cerebral cortex and administered PYC elevated its amount to the level of controls. In the cerebellum, diabetes does not affect the synthesis of nNOS and PYC reduces synthesis of NOS. Diabetes as well as PYC had no influence on the synthesis of eNOS in both, the cerebellum and cerebral cortex. PYC modulated level of Cu/Zn-SOD and nNOS in cerebellum and cerebral cortex of diabetic rats, but in a different way.

Department of Medical Chemistry Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry Faculty of Medicine Comenius University Bratislava Slovak Republic