ANTIOXIDANT ENZYME-ACTIVITIES IN IDD-PRONE AND IDD-RESISTANT MICE - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY

Insulin-dependent diabetes (IDD) in the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse is believed to result from the specific autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells. The frequency of diabetes in the NOD mouse is sex-dependent, with approximately 90% of females and 40% of males developing clinical diabetes by 40 weeks of age. Recently, attention has focused on determining possible mechanisms for beta cell destruction. One potential mechanism is the toxic effect of free oxygen radicals produced as a result of the influx of inflammatory cells into the pancreas. A deficiency in available antioxidant enzymes could form a basis for diabetes susceptibility. To test the feasibility of this idea, we have compared the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase in isolated islets, pancreas, and other tissues of age- and sex-matched NOD, BALB/c, C57BL/10, and B1O.GD mice. Enzyme profiles revealed that female NOD mice do not differ significantly in antioxidant enzyme activity from females of the other inbred strains. However, antioxidant enzyme activity in females was generally lower than in males regardless of mouse strain. While isolated islet cells exhibited somewhat lower levels of enzyme activity than other tissues. the islets of NOD mice proved to be no more deficient than those of BALB/c mice. Therefore, it is unlikely that any toxic effect of free oxygen radicals on the beta cells of NOD mice results directly or solely from an antioxidant enzyme deficiency. Nevertheless, one possible explanation for the lower incidence of diabetes in NOD males versus females may be the inherently higher male antioxidant enzyme activities.