HIGH-DOSE ANTIOXIDANT THERAPY DURING THROMBOLYSIS IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION

This study investigated the effects of 24-hour intravenous infusion of glutathione (GSH) on plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and on clini cal recovery after myocardial infarction in 67 patients treated with r ecombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) and 29 patients n ot given rt-PA, Baseline MDA levels were also measured in 20 healthy c ontrol subjects matched for sex, age, and smoking habits, Administrati on of rt-PA resulted in an earlier recovery of ST elevation. A higher number of patients with fast ST recovery, a lower creatine phosphokina se (CPK) maximum peak, earlier CPK peak, and a lower incidence of arrh ythmic episodes were among those who received GSH in addition tort-PA, Patients who did not receive rt-PA showed a rather steady trend of pla sma MDA levels, Patients receiving thrombolytic therapy showed increas ed MDA concentrations beginning 6 hours after starting therapy, Howeve r, while the patients treated only with rt-PA showed a continuous incr ease in MDA levels, those patients who also received GSH had a signifi cant decrease in MDA levels, Plasma MDA levels significantly increased after thrombolysis; administration of GSH appeared to limit some adve rse effects associated with reperfusion-induced oxidative stress.