Erythrocyte caspase-3 and antioxidant defense is activated in red blood cells and plasma of type 2 diabetes patients at first clinical onset

Figures & data

Table 1. Subject characteristics*

	Controls	Type 2 DM (n = 33)
		No complications	HBP	Macroangiopathy	P vs. controls
n (%)	23 (100)	13 (39.4)	13 (39.4)	7 (21.2)
Age (years)	59.6 ± 2.4	54.9 ± 2.9	52.8 ± 4.0	62.8 ± 2.6	NS
BMI (kg/m^2)	27.3 ± 0.3	26.3 ± 0.9	28.7 ± 0.7	28.9 ± 0.7	NS
HbA1c (%)	5.5 ± 0.05	8.3 ± 0.5	8.5 ± 0.5	9.1 ± 0.6	<0.001
SBP (mmHg)	132.9 ± 1.2	130.5 ± 2.8	171.9 ± 2.6	155.7 ± 2.6	<0.001
DBP (mmHg)	78.2 ± 1.1	82.4 ± 2.1	91.2 ± 2.6	95.1 ± 2.6	<0.001

*Values are mean ± SE. P = NS for SBP and DBP between controls and T2DM group.

DM, diabetes mellitus; BMI, body mass index; SBP, systolic blood pressure; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HBP, high blood pressure.

Figure 1. Oxidative stress and total antioxidant status of plasma increases in early type 2 diabetes patients. Plasma from type 2 diabetes patients at first clinical onset and from non-diabetes age-matched subjects was evaluated for Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) (A) and malondialdehyde–thiobarbituric acid (MDA–TBA) adducts (B). Values are mean ± SE. *P < 0.01, #P < 0.001 vs. controls (analysis of variance Kruskal–Wallis test).

Figure 2. Oxidative stress and total antioxidant status of RBCs is increased in type 2 diabetes patients at first clinical onset. Red blood cells (RBCs) from early type 2 diabetes patients and from non-diabetes age-matched subjects were evaluated for TEAC (A) and MDA–TBA adducts (B). Values are mean ± SE. *P < 0.01, #P < 0.001 vs. controls (analysis of variance Kruskal–Wallis test). Hg, hemoglobin.

Figure 3. Antioxidant enzymatic activity is upregulated early in erythrocytes from type 2 diabetes patients. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) (A), catalase (CAT) (B), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) (C) activity was measured in erythrocytes from type 2 diabetes patients at first clinical onset and from non-diabetes age-matched individuals. Values are mean ± SE. *P < 0.05, #P < 0.01 vs. controls (analysis of variance, one-way Tukey test).

Figure 4. Caspase-3 is activated in RBCs of type 2 diabetes patients from first clinical onset. Caspase-3 activity was measured in RBCs from early type 2 diabetes patients and from non-diabetes age-matched subjects. Values are mean ± SE. #P < 0.05 vs. controls (analysis of variance Kruskal–Wallis test).