Features of Metabolism of Sialoglycoconjugates of the Small Intestinal Wall of Rats With Alloxan Diabetes When Corrected With Tocopherol

Diabetic enteropathy occurs in many patients with diabetes mellitus. Sialoglycoconjugates play an important role in ensuring normal intestinal function. Tocopherols exert protective effects on the intestinal barrier function. The aim of the study was to comparatively investigate the effect of α-tocopherol on the metabolic parameters of sialoglycoconjugates of the small intestinal wall of rats with alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus. Material and Methods. The study was performed on mongrel male albino rats weighing 180-220 g. The animals were divided randomly into control (I) and experimental (II, III) groups. In rats of groups II and III experimental diabetes mellitus was induced by subcutaneous single injection of alloxan tetrahydrate (170 mg/kg body weight). Group III rats (SD+E) received per os α-tocopherol (2 mg/100 g body weight) daily from days 4 to 40 of the experiments after induction of diabetes. Biological material was collected from all animals. Blood plasma glucose content was studied to control the development of alloxan diabetes, and the levels of free, oligo- and protein-bound sialic acids and sialidase activity were examined in the small intestine wall on days 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 of the experiments. Results. The study revealed changes in the rate of metabolism of sialoglycoconjugates of the small intestine wall of animals with alloxan diabetes mellitus, which may be associated with changes in metabolism in these cells for adaptation of the rat organism at prolonged increase in blood plasma glucose content on the background of hypoinsulinaemia. When α-tocopherol was administered, a decrease in the level of all studied sialic acid fractions in the wall of small intestine in experimental rats by the end of the experiment was observed. Conclusion. The application of tocopherol had a positive effect on the studied metabolic disorders caused by the development of alloxan diabetes mellitus, which led to a decrease in the changes of sialoglycoconjugate metabolism parameters in the wall of the small intestine of rats.