title: Colonic mucosal antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxide levels in normal subjects and patients with ulcerative colitis.
abstract: Oxygen-derived free radicals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. Mammalian tissues contain antioxidant systems that offer protection from the damaging effect of these active species. In the present study, the activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione transferase and glutathione reductase were measured in rectal biopsies from patients with ulcerative colitis and compared with that obtained from normal subjects. A significant decrease in the activity of glutathione transferase was observed in ulcerative colitis (48.32 +/- 6.73 units/mg protein, mean +/- s.e.) compared to normal (68.20 +/- 6.83; P = 0.015). There was no difference in the activity of other antioxidant enzymes between controls and ulcerative colitis. Myeloperoxidase, a marker for neutrophil infiltration, was considerably increased in ulcerative colitis while malonaldehyde, the end product of lipid peroxidation, was not increased. The reduced activity of glutathione transferase in ulcerative colitis may be an additional factor in the pathogenesis of mucosal damage in this disease.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bhaskar
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Ramakrishna
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Balasubramanian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000378:metabolism*; D003106:Colon / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D012007:Rectum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D009195:Peroxidase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D005982:Glutathione Transferase