Volume 50: 389-396, 2001


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Antioxidant Vitamin Levels and Glutathione Peroxidase Activity During Ischemia/Reperfusion in Myocardial Infarction


V. MUŽÁKOVÁ, R. KANĎÁR, P. VOJTÍŠEK1, J. SKALICKÝ2, R. VAŇKOVÁ3, A. ČEGAN, Z. ČERVINKOVÁ4


Department of Biological and Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, 1Department of Cardiology, Hospital of Pardubice, 2Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Hospital of Pardubice, 3Institute of Experimental Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague and 4Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic


Received September 11, 2000
Accepted January 19, 2001


Summary
The consequences of increased oxidative stress, measured as the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) during ischemia/reperfusion, were studied in 48 patients in the acute phase of myocardial infarction (AMI) and a control group (21 blood donors). The serum levels of a-tocopherol and b-carotene were followed. Immediately after the treatment onset the level of a-tocopherol started to decrease, reaching a plateau after 24 h. The consumption of b-carotene was delayed by 90 min. Steady decline was detected during the whole time interval studied (48 h). Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, as a representative of antioxidant enzymes, was estimated in whole blood. The influx of oxygenated blood was accompanied by a stimulation of GPx activity, which reached its maximum at the time of completed reperfusion. When comparing the AMI patients with the control group, the levels of MDA were found significantly increased, which indicates that oxidative stress is already increased during ischemia. Lower antioxidant levels found in the patients might either already be the result of vitamin consumption during ischemia or be a manifestation of their susceptibility to AMI. Monitored consumption of a-tocopherol and b-carotene during reperfusion indicated that in the case of patients, whose level of antioxidant vitamins is below the threshold limit, a further substantial decrease of antioxidant vitamins during reperfusion could enhance the oxidative damage of the myocardium.


Key words
Myocardial infarction · Oxidative stress · Malondialdehyde · Glutathione peroxidase · Alpha tocopherol · Beta carotene

 

Reprint requests
V. Mužáková, M.D., Department of Biological and Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice, Štrossova 239, 530 03 Pardubice, Czech Republic. e-mail: vladimira.muzakova@upce.cz


PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
© 2001 by the Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences

ISSN 0862 - 8408

Issue 4