Studies of human and rat blood under oxidative stress: changes in plasma thiol level, antioxidant enzyme activity, protein carbonyl content, and fluidity of erythrocyte membrane.

Abstract Previously by selection and inbreeding of Wistar rats susceptible or resistant to the cataractogenic effect of galactose the S and R rat strains were developed as a model of oxidative stress. It was earlier found S rats have elevated level of OH-radical generation and enhanced lipid peroxidation compared with that for R rats. Our data show that superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the blood of S rats are twice lower than corresponding values of R rats. Increased level of disulfides and protein carbonyl groups was obtained in the blood plasma of S-rats. It was found that fluidity of erythrocyte membrane measured by photobleaching method is definitely higher for S rats compared with that for S rats. Similar effect of decreased catalase activity and increased disulfide content has been observed for kyphoscoliosis patients.