RESUMO
The nitric oxide donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) has been used to prevent platelet activation in patients with severe pre-eclampsia. The study assesses the chronic administration of GSNO on glucose metabolism in the dog animal model. GSNO (10 mg/kg) was administered intravenously for 14 days and the blood glucose concentration was determined by the glucose oxidase method. Oral glucose tolerance tests revealed an impaired glucose tolerance in the GSNO-treated dogs as reflected by elevated postprandial blood glucose concentrations at the 1.0 hour to 2.5 hour time interval (p < 0.05). The elevated blood glucose concentration was associated with a statistically significant decrease in plasma insulin concentration. The plasma insulin concentration at 1.0 hour in captopril-treated controls was 41.00 uIU/ml compared with 27.33 uIU/ml in GSNO-treated dogs (p < 0.05). In contrast, the plasma glucagon concentration was enhanced by the chronic adminstration of GSNO, as confirmed by a concentration of 75.00 ñ 6.06 pg/ml in GSNO-treated dogs compared with 49.50 ñ 4.64 pg/ml in captopril-treated controls at the 1.0 hour time interval. Linear regression analysis of the data revealed a highly significant and positive correlation between the blood glucose concentration and the plasma glucagon concentration (r = 0.739, p < 0.01). Similarly, a positive correlation existed between the blood glucose concentration and the plasma insulin concentration (r = 0.513, p = 0.307). We conclude that chronic in vivo adminstration of GSNO impairs the parameters of carbohydrate metabolism. Patients who are on protracted treatment with GSNO could be risk for the development of diabetes mellitus.(Au)
