ISCHEMIA REPERFUSION INJURY IS AGGRAVATED BY AN IRON SUPPLEMENTED DIET AND IS PARTLY PREVENTED BY SIMULTANEOUS ANTIOXIDANT SUPPLEMENTATION/

In humans high levels of storage iron as well as low iron binding capa city are considered risks for ischemic heart disease development. The aim of this study was to determine whether a diet containing iron to a concentration of the recommended upper limit alters the degree of myo cardial ischemic/reperfusion injury on rats and whether simultaneous a ntioxidant supplementation had any effect. Results indicate that the i ron supplemented diet increased the degree of oxidative injury while s imultaneous antioxidant supplementation prevented much of this increas e. The mechanism for this was probably an elevated hydroxyl radical pr oduction due to the enlarged transit iron pool.