We evaluated the effect of two angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, enalapril and captopril, on erythrocyte lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. A progressive increase in the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and a decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities had been observed in diabetic rats following 6 and 12 weeks, indicative of erythrocytes oxidative stress in experimental diabetes. Captopril (2 mg/kg body weight) increased the diabetic-induced changes of MDA content and SOD activity following 6 weeks and inhibited them after 12 weeks, as well as prevented the decrease in catalase activity following both 6 and 12 weeks. Enalapril (1 mg/kg body weight) counteracted the diabetic-induced changes of MDA content, SOD and catalase activities following both 6 and 12 weeks. These results suggest the possibility of a therapeutic use of ACE-inhibitors in order to attenuate the effects of oxidative stress in diabetes.

Keywords: Lipid Peroxidation, Lipid Peroxidation, enalapril, diabetes