AIM: To study the antioxidative stress effect of probucol for nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.

METHODS:Sixty-eight clinic patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy were selected from January, 2012 to August, 2013. According to the random number table, the patients were divided into control group and observation group, the control group was received conventional medicine for hypoglycemic therapy, and the observation group was given probucol(0.375g, twice daily)on the basis of control group. All patients were followed up for average 11.58±0.17mo. At the same time 16 healthy volunteers matched with baseline were collected as normal control group. Changes in fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, the staging progress rate and the remission rate of diabetic retinopathy, and indicators related to oxidative stress, such as, total antioxide capacity(TAOC), superoxide dismutase(SOD), and methane dicarboxy aldehyde(MDA), of two groups of patients before and after therapy were observed.

RESULTS: Fasting blood glucose,postprandial blood glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin of patients in two groups before and after therapy showed no significant changes, and the differences had no statistical significance. The staging remission rate and the progress rate of diabetic retinopathy of the control group after therapy were 3% and 19% respectively. The staging remission rate and the progress rate of diabetic retinopathy of the observation group after probucol therapy were 18% and 5% respectively. In comparison with the control group, the difference had statistical significance(P<0.05). TAOC, SOD, MDA of the control group before and after therapy had no obvious change, but TAOC, SOD of the observation group after therapy had significantly increased, and MDA had significantly decreased(P<0.05), with statistical significance in comparison with the changes of the patients in the control group after therapy(P<0.05).

CONCLUSION:Probucol can improve the antioxidative stress status of the patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, and enhance the therapeutic effect of the patients with diabetic retinopathy.