The role of antioxidant nutrients in preventing hyperbaric oxygen damage to the retina.
Vitamin E and selenium play essential roles in preventing in vivo lipid peroxidation and free radical damage. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment adversely affected the electroretinograms (ERGs) of rats fed a diet deficient in both vitamin E and selenium (the basal or B diet) or a diet deficient in vitamin E alone (B + Se diet). After 4 weeks of HBO treatment (3.0 ATA or 100% oxygen, 1.5 hours per day, 5 day/week) rats fed the B diet deficient in vitamin E and selenium for 6 weeks showed decreased (p less than 0.05) a-wave amplitudes, 85 +/- 9 microvolts (microV), n = 11, compared with a-waves recorded (150 +/- 10 microV, n = 21) for age matched rats fed an identical diet for 6 weeks but not treated with HBO. After 15 weeks of HBO treatment, rats fed the B + Se diet deficient in vitamin E alone showed decreased (p less than 0.01) a-wave (61 +/- 9 microV, n = 4) and b-wave (253 +/- 23 microV, n = 4) amplitudes compared with a-wave (115 +/- 7 microV, n = 4) and b-wave amplitudes (450 +/- 35 microV, n = 4) for age matched rats fed the same diet but not treated with HBO. Decreased a- or b-wave amplitudes provide evidence of retinal damage. Rats fed a diet supplemented with vitamin E and selenium or vitamin E alone showed no decreases in either a- or b-wave amplitudes after 15 weeks of HBO treatment.
Stone
W L
WL
Department of Pediatrics, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208.
Henderson
R A
RA
Howard
G H
GH
Hollis
A L
AL
Payne
P H
PH
Scott
R L
RL
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004032:Diet; D004596:Electroretinography; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012643:Selenium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology
D000975:Antioxidants; D014810:Vitamin E; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D012643:Selenium