Radical scavenging effect of gliclazide in diabetic rats fed with a high cholesterol diet.BackgroundGliclazide is a sulphonylurea antidiabetic drug with anti-oxidant effect due to its azabicyclo-octyl ring. We hypothesized that gliclazide may have a beneficial effect on diabetic nephropathy via radical scavenging.MethodsStreptozotocin-induced diabetic rats fed a 4% cholesterol diet [high cholesterol-diabetes mellitus (HC-DM)] (N = 12) were treated with gliclazide (HC-DM + gliclazide) (N = 12) or glibenclamide (HC-DM + glibenclamide) (N = 12) after 2weeks of the diabetes induction, and normal rat fed with 4% cholesterol served as control [high cholesterol-control (HC-control)] (N = 12). Renal expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (...