l-Arginine prevents metabolic effects of high glucose in diabetic mice

We tested the hypothesis that activation of the polyol pathway and protein kinase C (PKC) during diabetes is due to loss of NO. Our results show that after 4 weeks of streptozotocin-induced diabetes, treatment with l-arginine restored NO levels and prevented tissue accumulation of sorbitol in mice, which was accompanied by an increase in glutathiolation of aldose reductase. l-Arginine treatment decreased superoxide generation in the aorta, total PKC activity and PKC-βII phosphorylation in the heart, and the plasma levels of triglycerides and soluble ICAM. These data suggest that increasing NO bioavailability by l-arginine corrects the major biochemical abnormalities of diabetes.