ANTIOXIDANT CONSUMPTION DURING EXERCISE IN INTERMITTENT CLAUDICATION

Twenty male claudicant patients and nine age-matched controls were exe rcised on a treadmill. Blood and urine samples were taken before and a fter exercise. Total antioxidant concentration was measured using an e nhanced chemiluminescent assay and microalbuminuria determined by radi oimmunoassay. Claudicants had increased microalbuminuria after exercis e. Mean(s.e.m.) antioxidant concentrations were similar for patients a nd controls at rest: 479(28) and 438(23) mu mol/l respectively. Claudi cants showed a significant decrease in antioxidant concentration 1 min after exercise to 428(27) mu mol/l; this returned to 470(30) mu mol/l by 10 min. A correlation was found between the decrease in antioxidan t concentration and the increase in microalbuminuria (r(S) = -0.496, P < 0.05). This study supports the concept of ischaemia-reperfusion inj ury in claudicant patients and has implications for treatment.