Alpha Lipoic Acid Influence in the Attenuation of Oxidative Stress and of Clinical Manifestations of Neuropathy in Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Alpha lipoic acid is an antioxidant substance used for the pathogenic treatment of diabetic neuropathy, oxidative stress being a central mechanism in diabetic microvascular complications. Our study included 24 diabetes mellitus patients with diabetic neuropathy and 20 healthy subjects. Diabetes patients were given alpha lipoic acid 600 mg intravenously for 10 days and then per os for 30 days.

Significant improvements were observed concerning oxidative stress evaluated by measuring serum malondyaldehide and ceruloplasmin. The clinical characteristic of neuropathy improved, both the level of pain decreased and the vibration perception threshold increased. Our study demonstrated a two times higher level of oxidative stress in patients with diabetes compared to healthy subjects, and that by influencing oxidative stress we could influence the clinical aspects of neuropathy. Further investigations need to be done to explore the pleiotropic effects of alpha lipoic acid on other mechanisms that are implicated in the pathogenies of diabetic neuropathy.