Reference

Oxidation-reduction chemistry of DL-

Oxidation-reduction chemistry of DL-.alpha.-lipoic acid, propanedithiol, and trimethylene disulfide in aprotic and in aqueous media. Howie, John K.; Houts, James J.; Sawyer, Donald T. (Dep. Chem., Univ. California, Riverside, Calif., USA). J. Am. Chem. Soc., 99(19), 6323-6 (English) 1977. CODEN: JACSAT. DOCUMENT TYPE: Journal CA Section: 72 (Electrochemistry) Section cross-reference(s): 22, 28, 7 The electrochem. of propanedithiol [109-80-8], trimethylene disulfide (I) [557-22-2], and DL-lipoic acid (II) [1077-28-7] was studied in wqter and MeCN solns. by use of cyclic voltammetry and controlled potential coulometry at a Au electrode. Redox mechanisms are proposed on the basis of the electrochem. data. I and II are electrochem. reduced at extremely neg. potentials in MeCN soln. (-1.77 and -1.92 V vs. SCF., resp.) intoxidized II cannot be electrochem. reduced in water. The mol. also does not react with singly reduced methyl viologen in MeCN soln., which indicates that redn. cannot take place by a sequential 1-electron transfer mechanism. In contrast, both I and oxidized II are readily reduced by electrochem. generated mol. H, which confirms that II redn. of the disulfide linkage must occur by an atom transfer mechanism.

Lipoic acid and diabetes: effect of dihydrolipoic acid administration in diabetic rats and rabbits

Lipoic acid and diabetes: effect of dihydrolipoic acid administration in diabetic rats and rabbits. Natraj, C. V.; Gandhi, V. M.; Menon, K. K. G. (Hindustan Lever Res. Cent., Bombay 400 099, India). J. Biosci., 6(1), 37-46 (English) 1984. CODEN: JOBSDN. DOCUMENT TYPE: Journal CA Section: 1 (Pharmacology) The relative DL-a-lipoic acid [1077-28-7] content of diabetic livers was considerably less than that of normal livers, as detd. by gas chromatog. It was not possible to detect any dihydrolipoic acid [462-20-4] in the livers. Biochem. abnormalities such as hyperglycemia, ketonemia, redn. in liver glycogen, and impaired incorporation of [2-14C]acetate into fatty acids in alloxan-diabetic rats were brought to near-normal levels by the oral or i.p. administration of dihydrolipoic acid. The effect of a-lipoic acid was comparable to that of dihydrolipoic acid in reducing the blood sugar of diabetic rabbits during a glucose tolerance test.