Protective effect of sulfhydryl-containing antioxidants against ischemia/reperfusion injury of prepubertal rat intestine.
OBJECTIVE
Reactive oxygen species generated during reperfusion of the tissue are known to play an important role in the basic pathophysiology of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the protective effects of three sulfide-based antioxidants, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), erdosteine (ERD), and alpha-lipoic acid (LA), on I/R injury of the small intestine tissue.


METHODS
Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing between 100-150 g were divided into five groups (n = 8 for each): control (sham operated), I/R, I/R + NAC, I/R + ERD, and I/R + LA. Intestinal ischemia was provided by occluding the superior mesenteric artery via a special microvascular clamp; ischemia for 30 min and reperfusion for 3 days were carried out. Ileal specimens were obtained to determine the tissue levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl contents (PCO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and histological changes.


RESULTS
The rats subjected to intestinal I/R exhibited an increase in tissue MDA and PCO; the levels could hardly be ameliorated in the treatment groups. SOD and GPx activities were significantly decreased in the I/R group, whereas their reduction was less expressed in the treatment groups. Additionally, the histopathological injury scores of the disulfide-treated groups were lower than those of the I/R group.


CONCLUSIONS
All of the sulfhydryl-containing antioxidants used in this study exhibited a significant role in attenuating intestinal I/R injury; however, the outcome of the LA-treated group was significantly marked than that of the others.
Tunc
Turan
T
Department of Pediatrics, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
Oter
Sükrü
S
Güven
Ahmet
A
Topal
Turgut
T
Kul
Mustafa
M
Korkmaz
Ahmet
A
Ongürü
Onder
O
Sarici
Umit
U
D000111:Acetylcysteine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003250:Constriction; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D007082:Ileum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D017538:Mesenteric Artery, Superior / Q000601:surgery; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D050050:Protein Carbonylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D046468:Sexual Development; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D013864:Thioglycolates / Q000494:pharmacology; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000494:pharmacology
D000975:Antioxidants; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013864:Thioglycolates; D013876:Thiophenes; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D008063:Thioctic Acid; C048498:erdosteine; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000111:Acetylcysteine