Abstract: [Abstract] Objective To explore the protective effect of cotreatment with antioxidants 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (tempol) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in pancreatic injury induced by IH in mice.Methods 50 male C57BL/6J mouse were equally randomly divided into control group(CON),two-week IH group(IH2w), IH+tempol+GSH group(IH+Tempol+GSH),IH+tempol group(IH+Tempol), IH+GSH group(IH+GSH).After successfully making animal model, insulin resistance level, pancreatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels、superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity、glutathione (GSH) concentrations, and pancreaticβ-cell apoptosis were measured in all groups.Results The levels of insulin resistance were more significantly increased in IH group than those in CON group (P<0.01),but more significantly decreased in IH+Tempol+GSH group than those in IH group (P<0.01); MDA content was significantly higher (P<0.01) in the IH group than that in the CON group, but SOD activity (P<0.01) and GSH content (P< 0.01) were obviously decreased ,and MDA level was significantly lower (P<0.01) in the IH+Tempol+GSH group than that in the IH group,but SOD and GSH levels were obviously increased(P<0.01);percent of βcell apoptosis was obviously increased in IH group than that in the CON group(P<0.01), but they was significantly lower in IH+Tempol+GSH group than that in IH group(P<0.01);and there was no significantly difference in all above indexes between IH+Tempol,IH+GSH and IH groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Cotreatment with the antioxidant tempol and GSH can obviously protect IH–induced pancreatic injury in mice,however, tempol or GSH alone can not significantly inhibit this injury.

Key words: intermittent hypoxia, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, apoptosis