Interplay Between Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defenses in the Pathogenesis and Management of Diabetes Mellitus

Mugisha Emmanuel K.

 

Faculty of Science and Technology Kampala International University Uganda

ABSTRACT

Diabetes mellitus is a global metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia and an array of microvascular and macrovascular complications. A substantial body of evidence implicates oxidative stress-an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and antioxidant defenses a central mechanism in the initiation and progression of diabetic pathology. Hyperglycaemia potentiates ROS generation through multiple biochemical pathways, including increased mitochondrial electron transport chain leakage, activation of the polyol pathway, advanced glycation end-product (AGE) formation, protein kinase C (PKC) activation, and enhanced hexosamine flux. These ROS-driven processes damage cellular macromolecules, impair signalling, and trigger inflammatory cascades that contribute to β-cell dysfunction, insulin resistance, endothelial injury, neuropathy, nephropathy, and hepatopathy. Endogenous antioxidant systems (enzymatic: superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase; non-enzymatic: glutathione, vitamins C and E, and thiol-containing proteins) attempt to neutralize oxidative insults, but are often overwhelmed in diabetes. Therapeutic strategies aiming to rebalance redox homeostasis-ranging from lifestyle modifications and glycaemic control to pharmacological antioxidants and agents that upregulate endogenous defenses-show promise in ameliorating diabetic complications. This review synthesizes mechanistic links between oxidative stress and diabetic pathophysiology, discusses biomarkers and experimental models used to study redox imbalance, evaluates antioxidant-based interventions, and highlights gaps and future directions for translating redox biology into clinical practice.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, oxidative stress, antioxidants, reactive oxygen species, β-cell dysfunction

 

CITE AS: Mugisha Emmanuel K. (2026). Interplay Between Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defenses in the Pathogenesis and Management of Diabetes Mellitus. IDOSR JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

12(1):13-20. https://doi.org/10.59298/IDOSR/JST/26/113.1320