Spin-trappers and vitamin E prolong endurance to muscle fatigue in mice

Abstract The involvement of free radicals in endurance to muscle effort is suggested by experimental and clinical data. Therefore, experiments have been performed to observe the effect of trapping free radicals on endurance to swimming in mice. Animals were injected intraperitoneally with each of three spin-trappers [ N - tert -Butyl- α -Phenyl-Nitrone (PBN), α -4-Pyridyil-1-Oxide- N -tert-Butyl-Nitrone (POBN) and 5,5-Dimethyl-1-Pirrolyn- N -Oxide(DMPO): 0.2 ml of 10 −1 molar solution]. Each mouse was submitted to a swimming test to control resistance to exhaustion a) without any treatment, b) after administration of each spin-trapper in a random order c) after saline. Control experiments were performed with saline and with vitamine E. Endurance to swimming was greatly prolonged by pretreatment with all the spin-trappers (DMPO