Effects of diphenyl diselenide on oxidative stress induced by sepsis in rats

Sepsis is a potentially deadly complication that can be caused by different factors. Actually, it is known that oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)2, an emergent compound, on oxidative stress parameters induced by sepsis in rats. Animals were pre-injected with (PhSe)2 or vehicle. Twenty-four hours later, sepsis was induced by cecal ligation puncture (CLP). After 12 h, liver was taken for thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) measurement, δ-aminolevunic acid dehydratase (δ-ALA-D), Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities assay. The sepsis increased TBARS, inhibited δ-ALA-D, activated Cu/Zn SOD and had a tendency to decrease CAT activity. However, (PhSe)2 prevented the TBARS formation, but did not prevent the inhibition of δ-ALA-D activity in the animals with damage. Thus, this study showed that (PhSe)2 partially prevents the oxidative stress induced by sepsis, indicating the potential of this compound as a treatment for this pathology. Nevertheless, more tests should be performed to confirm the hypothesis suggested here.