HYPERBARIC OXYGENATION AND ANTIANGINAL AG ENTS - EFFECTS ON BLOOD-LEVELS OF MALONIC DIALDEHYDE AND ACTIVITY OF ANTIOXIDATIVE ENZYMES IN PATIENTS WITH CORONARY HEART-DISEASE

The time course of serum levels of malonic dialdehyde and red blood ce ll activity of antioxidative enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, was assessed from the outcomes of hyperbaric oxygenation combined with antianginal therapy in 38 patients with func tional classes II-III stable angina on effort without clinical manifes tations of circulatory failure. Hyperbaric oxygenation involved 10-12 sessions at 1.5 ata during 40 min each. The antianginal agents (long-a cting nitrates, beta-adrenoblockers, nifedipine) were given in median therapeutical doses. The control group included 26 patients who had hy perbaric oxygenation in the same fashion without taking antianginal dr ugs. The criteria for beneficial therapy were a reduction in the numbe r of anginal episodes and the nitroglycerin tablets used, an increase in exercise tolerance, as evidenced by repeated bicycle ergometric tes t. The positive clinical effect of a hyperbaric oxygenation course was shown to be accompanied by higher activity of superoxide dismutase in the red blood cells. The use of nifedipine in the multimodality angin al therapy prevents the hyperbaric oxygenation-induced increase in ser um malonic dialdehyde levels.