Aloxano e Diabete

REVISTA BRASILEIRA
DE TOXICOLOGIA
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL
OF TOXICOLOGY
SOCIEDADE
BRASILEIRA DE
TOXICOLOGIA

Revista Brasileira de Toxicologia 19, n.2 (2006) 81-87

81

Aloxano e Diabetes
Waleska C. Dornas1, Tanus Jorge Nagem1*, Tânia Toledo de Oliveira2, Raphael Contelli2
1

Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP), Campus Morro do Cruzeiro - 35400-000- Ouro Preto - Minas Gerais
2
Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular- Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), 36571-000, Viçosa- Minas Gerais recebido em 05/09/2006, aceito em 01/08/2007

Abstract
Alloxan and Diabetes
Several substances have been used to develop an experimental model for diabetes mellitus, and alloxan is one of the most used compounds. Its diabetogenic action has been characterized mainly by the production of free radicals through its reduction and subsequent formation of superoxide radicals that are highly reactive and destroy selectively the pancreatic -cells producer of insulin in the islets of Langerhans. Considering the information given by researches along the years with the experimental course of the alloxan, this article initially reviews the background of the discovery and biochemical of the drug, followed by its mechanism of action and its answer to the cytotoxic function, and it concludes showing conditions that influence its effect and the prevention of its toxicity in the decrease of the susceptibility of the target cells to the aggressor agent.
Keywords: diabetes mellitus, alloxan, pancreas,

-cell.

Histórico

Bioquímica

A notável descoberta que uma injeção de aloxano produz diabetes em animais de laboratório realizou-se em
1943, em Glasgow, por DUNN e MCLETCHIE (1943). No entanto, Wöhler e Liebig já tinham iniciado estudo com a síntese de uréia em 1828, onde alguns derivados do úrico ácido incluíram o aloxano, nome dado devido à combinação de allantoin (um produto do ácido úrico excretado pelo feto) e oxalsaure