Abstract This study was designed to evaluate the serum oxidative status during general anaesthesia established with propofol in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Sixty mice were randomly allocated into two equal groups. The mice in the diabetic group were injected intraperitoneally with alloxan. Diabetic and normal mice were further divided into five treatment groups of six mice per group. The control group consisted of no treatment whilst the experimental groups received one to four doses of propofol (100 mg/kg BW) at 60-min intervals. In each group, trunk blood samples were collected 30 min after the last injection for the measurement of serum glucose, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities. Propofol reduced circulating MDA levels and increased serum GPX activity in both alloxantreated and normal mice. Propofol had no effect on serum glucose concentration. Propofol\'s increasing effect on GPX activity was significantly greater in alloxan-treated mice (90.27% within 60 min, 131.58% within 120 min, and 77.04% within 180 min) compared to normal mice. Serum SOD activity was significantly higher during exposure to propofol (61% within 180 min) in diabetic mice but was not statistically altered during exposure to propofol over time in normal mice. The results of this study demonstrate ameliorative effects of propofol on oxidative status in an alloxan-induced model of diabetes in mice.

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