Investigation of effects of perillyl alchocol on protein expression of bax and bcl-2 and oxidative stress in experimentally diabetes induced rats

In this study, effects of perillyl alcohol on Bax, Bcl-2 protein expression and oxidative stress in renal tissue were investigated in experimental diabetic rats. For this purpose 40 rats were divided into 4 groups as 10 animals in each group. Group 1 (Control), Group 2 (Diabetes) (STZ 50 mg / kg ip, Single Dose), Group 3 (Perillyl alcohol) (Perillyl alcohol 50 mg / kg P.O.7 days) ) (STZ 50 mg / kg ip, Single Dose + Perillyl alcohol 50 mg / kg 7 Days). The application lasted a total of ten days for all animals. Blood glucose levels were measured after 72 hours in STZ-treated animals and animals above 270 mg / dl were considered as diabetic. At the end of the study, both kidneys were taken from the animals under ether anesthesia and biochemical parameters (MDA, GSH, GSH.Px and Catalase) and apoptotic index markers Bax and Bcl-2 protein levels were measured. At the end of the study; according to the control group, MDA level was increased (p <0,01) however GSH, GSH.Px , Catalase levels were decreased in diabetic group (p <0,05) . In the perilyl alcohol group, the levels of MDA which increased with diabetes declined to the old level (p <0.01); levels of GSH, GSH.Px and Catalase which decreased with diabetes were increased to normal levels again (p <0,05).Western blot analysis showed that Bax protein levels increased with diabetes; but in Perillyl alcohol treated group it decreased to normal level (p <0,05). Bcl-2 levels increased in the Perillyl alcohol group (p <0.01). Bax / Bcl-2 ratio increased in the diabetic group (p <0,05) but remained at the old level with the application of Perillyl alcohol (p<0,01). As a result, Perillyl alcohol has been shown to reduce the oxidative stress resulting from diabetes and to increase the antioxidant activity, while decreasing the ratio of Bax / Bcl-2 which is an apoptotic index indicator. Key words : Perillyl Alcohol, Diabetes Mellitus, Apoptosis