Effects of hypocaloric diet, exercise and anti-obesity drug treatments on oxidative stress and antioxidant defense mechanism in obese patients

Researches on obese patients indicated that the oxidative stress markers in the body were elevated and the anti-oxidant defense enzymes were decreased. Oxidative stres causes damages on the major compounds in cells like lipids, proteins, DNA and carbohydrates.As the cure of the obesity, there are two new drugs called Orlistat and Sibutramine, together with the diet and exercise therapies. Orlistat irreversibly inhibites the gastric and pancreatic lipase. Sibutramine on the other hand, inhibites the re-uptake of serotonin and noradrenalin.We studied the effects of diet, exercise and drug therapies on the oxidative stress and anti-oxidan defense mechanisms.We included 21 obese women patient with a BMI>33 kg/m2 and 7 healthy volunteer. The patients are grouped in three therapy protocols. Protocol I included hypocaloric diet+exercise; Protocol II included plus Sibutramine and Protocol III included plus Orlistat. The serum values of oxidative stress, antioxidant defense system parameters, BMI and lipid profiles have been measured at the baseline and 3 months after therapy. The measured values are; triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, malondialdehyde, total thiol, total hydroperoxide, total anti-oxidant capacity (FRAP), vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C and 3-nitrotyrosine.It is found that, vitamin levels and protein oxidation levels before the treatments were generally higher in obese patients. After the treatment, vitamin levels decreased in all groups and reached down to the control. As for the oxidative stres markers; after the diet+exercise treatment, T-HP values increased. After the Sibutramine treatment, 3-NT levels decreased and T-HP levels increased. After the Orlistat treatment, MDA and T-HP levels increased.