Role of oxygen free radicals in causing endothelial damage in acute myocardial infarction.
OBJECTIVE
This work was done in order to study the oxidant and anti-oxidant status in a disease resulting from endothelial injury. The disease selected for study was acute myocardial infarction.


METHODS
Sixty patients of acute myocardial infarction were selected after being diagnosed in accordance to the guidelines laid down by the WHO. Thirty subjects were included as controls. Plasma levels of certain markers of oxidative stress and anti oxidant activity were measured in all the subjects. Malonaldehyde (MDA) and nitrite (NO2) were measured as markers of free radical mediated endothelial injury, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme as an indicator of antioxidant activity.


RESULTS
It was found that the plasma levels of MDA and nitrite were significantly elevated in the patients of acute myocardial infarction compared to the control group (7.29 +/- 3.28 v/s 4.57 +/- 0.63 nmol/ml and 12.85 +/- 8.71 v/s 0.97 +/- 0.25 microM respectively), thereby indicating that oxygen free radicals cause endothelial damage in them. The superoxide dismutase levels were also found to be elevated in these patients (5.57 +/- 1.47 v/s 3.91 +/- 0.66 U/ml).


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that acute myocardial infarction is a state of enhanced free radical activity, which causes endothelial damage. The elevated SOD levels may imply that the body attempts to combat this oxidative stress by raising it's level of anti-oxidants.
Department of Medicine, MGIMS, New Delhi.
A P
AP
Jain
A
A
Mohan
O P
OP
Gupta
U N
UN
Jajoo
S P
SP
Kalantri
L M
LM
Srivastava
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000201:enzymology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000201:enzymology*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood
D005609:Free Radicals; D009573:Nitrites; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase