John Ojowu

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by rise in blood glucose levels and generation of free radicals which could induce mitochondrial membrane permeability transition (MMPT) pore opening. This study examined the in vivo action of quercetin and vitamin E on MMPT in the liver of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats orally pre-treated with 30 mg quercetin/kg body weight (STZQ), 10 mg vitamin E/kg body weight (STZVit.E) and 0.6 mg glibenclamide/kg body weight (STZG). Male albino wistar rats were used in the study and were injected intraperitonially with streptozotocin (STZ) (45 mg/kg body weight) in citrate buffer. The degrees of serum and tissue peroxidation, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase activity were investigated. MMPT pore was assessed as mitochondrial swelling and was monitored spectrophotometrically as changes in absorbance at 540 nm under succinate-energized condition. There was significant increase in serum glucose level, degree of tissue pero...