The results of our study suggest that the modified dialyzer with vitamin E provided more effective antioxidant defense than peroral administration of vitamin E in our hemodialysis patients.

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AbstractIn the current study, we evaluated the dynamics of oxidative stress markers in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Thirty consecutive patients with AMI with ST elevation were included. Plasma lipid peroxidation end product malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in blood plasma were evaluated. Peripheral venous blood samples were obtained prior to reperfusion and at five time points after reperfusion. The control group consisted of 20 ischemic patients without acute coronary syndrome. TAC in the AMI group at admission was lower than in control patients (1.26 + 0.32 vs. 1.52 + 0.24 mmol/l). Within 1 h after reperfusion, in most cases, values significantly declined (1 min, 1.10 + 0.33 mmol/l; 1 h, 1.06 + 0.21 mmol/l [p= 0.03]). After 3 h, values began to increase (1.14 + 0.29 mmol/l) and returned to basal values after 3 d (1.29 + 0.24 mmol/l). MDA levels in AMI patients at admission were higher than in control patients (1.66 + 0.55 vs. 1.44 + 0.55 mmol/l) but showed a sustained decrease over the 3 h after reperfusion of the occluded artery (1 min, 1.57 + 0.37 mmol/l; 1 h, 1.50 + 0.35 μmol/l; 3 h, 1.35 + 0.59 μmol/l [p = 0.03]). Reperfusion of the occluded coronary artery by PCI in AMI lead to an immediate decrease in TAC, suggesting formation of reactive oxygen species. However, the MDA level significantly decreased after reperfusion. This may suggests less reperfusion injury after PCI.

The aim of the study was to assess the age dependence on some physiological and serum chemistry parameters of male Wistar rats for the estimation of reference values in controlled environment. We are presenting values obtained from a large number of animals such as survival, average life span, body mass, food and water intake, serum chemistry parameters as total protein, albumin, transferrin and ferritin in serum. One part of this work compares the relationship between rat and human age. The maximal life span of our rats was determined to be about 4.4 years. The average life span was 3.75 years. The body weight quickly rose to the 85th week of life and then remained in the range of about 640-660 g up to the 163rd week when it began to decline. Food intake rose from the beginning to the maximum of about 39 g in the 33rd week and then decreased to about 20 g in the 163rd week. The water intake had a similar dynamics (about 43 mL in the 33rd week and 33 mL in the 163rd week). Levels of total protein in serum increased with age, in contrast, albumin levels decreased. Transferrin and ferritin decreased to approximately the 160th week of life and then increased.

The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the effects of multigenerational (P, F1 and F2) exposure to low doses of lead, mercury and cadmium dissolved in tap water on the reproductive potency of Wistar rats and the physical health of their progeny. The animals were divided into 4 groups - control (C) and 3 groups intoxicated by metals (Pb, 100 μM; Hg, 1 μM; Cd, 20 μM, respectively). Females gave births from the 13th to the 78th week of experiment. Parameters of reprotoxicity such as number of litters, total number of neonates (assigned in the birth day), and number of weanlings (28th day after birth) were measured in 13-week intervals. Our data show an increase of most reproductive parameters in parental generation of rats exposed to lead and mercury and a decrease of reproductive parameters of exposed animals in subsequent F1 and F2 generations. Exposure to cadmium had no significant effect on the reproductive parameters in comparison with the control group.

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Oxidative stress, increased lipid peroxidation and decreased activity of antioxidant systems may contribute to the accelerated development of atherosclerosis in chronic renal failure patients during renal replacement therapy. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of vitamin E (400 mg/day) on some antioxidant defense parameters in CAPD patients. In fourteen CAPD patients, erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and catalase (CAT), the concentration of plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E were investigated. The study was divided into two periods. Each period lasted six weeks. In the first period patients received orally vitamin E 400 mg/day, in the second period they did not receive vitamin E or other antioxidant drugs. Each parameter was determined at the beginning of the study and at the end of each period. Six CAPD patients were treated by erythropoietin (EPO) and received orally pyridoxine 20 mg/day and the others without EPO treatment received pyridoxine 5 mg/day. Six-week treatment by vitamin E (400 mg/day) led to the significant increase of serum vitamin E (from 33.6+/-9.0 to 49.3+/-15.5 micromol/L) and to the significant decrease of MDA (from 2.62+/-0.5 to 2.36+/-0.4 micromol/L). The mean values of erythrocyte enzymes were in or under the lower margin of normal range and were not influenced by vitamin E in CAPD patients. The results of our study showed that orally administered vitamin E is a very important antioxidant agent for CAPD patients.