Egbuonu A.C. Cemaluk and Ezeanyika L.U.S.
Female gender is an independent risk factor for the development of metabolic syndrome (MES) (a cluster of features indicating metabolic disorders), that is associated with oxidative stress, insulin resistance and a significant reduction in nitric oxide (NO), a major metabolite of L-arginine (ARG). This study aimed to ascertain the effect of ARG on selected markers of MES related to glucose metabolism, oxidative stress and nitric oxide synthesis, in female Wistar albino rats. Two groups of rats were given 3 ml/kg body weight (bw) of distilled water, DW and 60 mg/kg bw of ARG, respectively as control and treated groups. Exposing ARG to female rats evoked a significant reduction (p<0.01) in fasting blood glucose (20.13Ã?â??Ã?±2.35 mg/ 100 ml), malondialdehyde (MDA) (6.42Ã?â??Ã?±0.29 mg/ 100 ml) and uric acid (7.96Ã?â??Ã?±0.23 mg/ 100 ml) concentrations but a significant increase (p<0.01) in calcium ion (Ca2+) (77.04Ã?â??Ã?±1.19 mmol/l) concentration in the ratsÃ?¢Ã?â?¬Ã?â?¢ serum. MDA, uric acid and fasting blood glucose concentrations correlated positively (Ã?ÂÃ? = 0.01), but negatively (Ã?ÂÃ? = 0.01) with Ca2+ concentration, indicating association of enhanced antioxidant activity and glucose metabolism with elevated nitric oxide synthesis. Thus, ARG elicited hypoglycaemic and antioxidant activity in the female rats probably via enhanced nitric oxide synthesis.
Share this article