OXYRADICALS, LIPID PEROXIDES AND ESSENTIAL FATTY-ACIDS IN PATIENTS WITH GLOMERULAR DISORDERS

It is now believed that free radicals and eicosanoids participate in t he pathogenesis of immune mediated mesangial cell injury and renal tis sue damage including glomerulonephritis. But relatively little informa tion is available about the role of essential fatty acids, (EFAs), the precursors of eicosanoids, in renal diseases. We studied the levels o f superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxides and the concent rations of various metabolites of EFAs in the plasma phospholipid frac tion of patients with glomerular disorders. A significant increase in the production of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide both by unsti mulated and phorbolmyristate acetate(PMA)-stimulated leukocytes, incre ase in the plasma lipid peroxide levels and a marked reduction in the levels of arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid, the precurs ors of 2 and 3 series prostaglandins (PGs) respectively, were observed in these patients. Since eicosapentaenoic acid and prostacyclin, whic h is derived from AA, are believed to be of benefit in the prevention of progression of renal disease, and as free radicals can cause renal dysfunction, our results suggest that free radicals and the metabolite s of EFAs play a significant role in the pathogenesis of glomerular di sorders.