EFFECT OF ANTIOXIDANTS ON POSTOPERATIVE HYPERAMYLASEMIA IN CORONARY-BYPASS SURGERY

Antioxidants may reduce pancreatic cellular injury after coronary arte ry bypass grafting (CABG). Twenty patients (Group A) received vitamin E (600 mg/day) for 28 days and vitamin C (2 g/day) and allopurinol (60 0 mg/day) for 2 days before and 1 day after CABG. Seventeen patients ( Group C) received all drugs for 3 days, and 25 (Group B) and 19 (Group D) patients served as corresponding controls, The pre- and postoperat ive pancreatic isoamylase (P-amylase), creatinine, and antioxidant con centrations were measured. Serum hyperamylasemia was highest on the fi rst postoperative day and occurred in 73% of the patients. After surge ry serum P-amylase increased in all study groups and urine P-amylase d ecreased. Postoperative serum hyperamylasemia, whether primarily renal or pancreatic, cannot be decreased by pretreatment with allopurinol, vitamin C, and vitamin E.