Comparative study of pulmonary functions and oxidative stress in smokers and non–smokers.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) is projected to rank third leading cause of deaths by 2030 as per WHO. COPD is a multietiological disease. The airflow dysfunction is usually progressive, associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles or gasses. As the lung is exposed to high levels of oxygen, it is more susceptible to oxidants mediated injury. Gender based differences are identifiable risk factors. Smoking is found to be a major risk factor in the causation of COPD resulting in oxidative stress . The aim of the present study is to evaluate the oxidant antioxidant imbalance in healthy non smoker controls and smokers with COPD. A total of 60 control (healthy non smokers) and 121 smokers having COPD were studied. The mean age is more in smoker group as compared to healthy controls, which identifies advancing age as a risk factor for COPD. The mean BMI and weight of smoker group is reduced as compared to control group. GOLD 2008 criteria was used to assess lung functions. Lung functions namely FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC% and FEV1% Predicted showed significant reduction in smoker group as compared to healthy non smoker controls. MDA in control and smoker group (1.09±0.09 and 1.41±0.23 nmol/ml respectively) showed significant changes (P<0.001). Our results also demonstrate significant reduction in anti oxidant enzymes namely SOD (units/mg of serum protein), Catalase (units/mg of serum protein) and GPX (nmol of NADPH oxidized/ min/mg of serum protein) in smoker group as compared to healthy controls. On the basis of study it is concluded that smoking, gender and oxidant antioxidant imbalance are identifiable risk factors in COPD.

Imbalance of oxidants and antioxidant systems in subjects with cirrhosis.

Oxidative stress has been increasingly implicated in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis. Ethanol and various viral infections will increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the liver, resulting in an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants. Thus determination of oxidants along with antioxidants,stated the role of oxidative stress more accurately in the pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis. In the present study we measured the markers of prooxidants, erythrocyte malondialdehyde (MAD), antioxidants that included erythrocyte catalase, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx). 30 subjects with age 25-60 years, who were diagnosed as having liver cirrhosis by the department of Gastroenterology, Narayana Medical Hospital were included, 30 normal healthy individuals of the same age were selected as control . The results clearly indicated that the levels of pro oxidants, MDA were high in cirrhotic subjects than in the controls with p value of 0.0001. The levels of antioxidant enzymes GSH, Catalase were low in cirrhosis with p value of 0.0001 (GSH) and 0.067(Catalase). But the mean value of glutathione peroxidase was high in cirrhosis than in controls. This may be due to conterregulation with oxidative stress. Hence this study indicates the role of oxidative stress in liver cirrhosis and it clearly defines the imbalance between oxidants & antioxidants.

Marternal Plasma ADMA Level, Placenta eNOS and Placenta Antioxidant Marker According to the Presence or Absence of Uterine Artery Notch on Color Doppler in the Third Trimester Pregnancies / 대한주산의학회잡지

PURPOSE: We examined pregnancy outcomes and maternal plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) concentrations in the presence or absence of uterine artery notch, and analyzed their relationships to the expression of placental endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and antioxidant enzymes, including manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and catalase. METHODS: We assessed uterine artery doppler waveforms in 30 women who had been hospitalized for delivery. Plasma concentrations of ADMA were also measured. Tissue samples of placentas were obtained from 15 patients with diastolic notch and 15 patients without diastolic notch, according to uterine Doppler velocimetry analysis. We evaluated the placental expression of eNOS, MnSOD, GPX and catalase with Western blot analysis and eNOS with immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The maternal plasma ADMA concentration increased significantly in the group with bilateral Uterine artery notch compared with the group without uterine artery notch (P=0.04). The expression of eNOS in the placenta significantly increased and the expression of MnSOD and GPX decreased significantly in the group with uterine artery notch at the third trimester. CONCLUSION: Uterine artery diastolic notch in pregnant women is associated with high maternal plasma ADMA, increased placental eNOS, and decreased MnSOD and GPX.