Effect of rosiglitazone on inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress after intensive insulin therapy in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of insulin sensitizer on inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: After intensive insulin therapy, patients with newly diagnosed T2DM were continuously treated with either insulin sensitizer or insulin for 48 weeks, and then their inflammatory cytokine and oxidative stress levels were measured. RESULTS: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, hypersensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP), malondialdehyde (MDA), and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-iso-PGF(2α)) levels of the rosiglitazone (RSG) group and the rosiglitazone combined with metformin (RSG + metformin) group were significantly reduced after the treatments (P < 0.05). Hs-CRP, MDA, and 8-iso-PGF(2α) levels of the metformin group were significantly reduced after the treatments (P < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were significantly increased after the treatments in all three groups (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Early application of insulin sensitizers improved inflammation and oxidative stress in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM.