SKIN BURN INJURY AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN LIVER AND LUNG TISSUES OF RABBIT MODELS

The effects of burn injury (30% of total body surface area) on the lev els of oxidized and reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde, and on the a ctivities of certain glutathione-dependent enzymes, have been determin ed in tissues of rabbit models. Thus, the malondialdehyde, glutathione (GSH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG) concentrations and the specific a ctivities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, and gl utathione reductase were measured in liver and lung of 24-h burn rabbi t models and compared to the corresponding values in 24-h sham burn (m edicated, anesthetic/analgesic) rabbit models. It was found that the c oncentrations of malondialdehyde in liver and lung of burn models were increased by 17% and 29% respectively. Glutathione concentrations wer e decreased by 29% in liver and 13% in lung, and glutathione disulfide concentrations were increased by 35% in liver and 33% in lung, in bur n versus sham burn models. It was also found that the specific activit ies of glutathione peroxidase decreased significantly, resultant to bu rn injury, by an average of 35% and 27% in liver and lung, respectivel y. Burn injury also decreased glutathione S-transferase specific activ ities by 14% in liver and 23% in lung tissues. In contrast, glutathion e reductase specific activity was increased in liver tissues (22%), bu t was decreased (19%), as with the other enzymes studied, in lung tiss ues of burn models. Control model studies (no medication, no sham burn ) show that these effects of burn injury are additional to effects eli cited by medication associated with sham burn models. The data of this study are indicative of a major oxidative stress in liver and lung ti ssues due to burn injury at a remote site.