EFFECT OF THE H-2 HISTAMINE-RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST ON OXYGEN-METABOLISM IN SOME MORPHOTIC BLOOD-ELEMENTS IN PATIENTS WITH ULCER DISEASE

Background/Aims: Our investigations was carried out in order to examin e the effect of cimetidine, ranitidine and famotidine on the generatio n of free radicals, lipid peroxidation and enzymatic antioxidative def ense in the blood of patients with peptic ulcer disease, clinically di agnosed as gastric or duodenal ulcer. Methodology: 124 non-smoking mal es (aged 20-51 years), were randomly divided into 4 groups: 28 patient s received intravenously 200 mg of cimetidine; 26 patients intravenous ly 50 mg comprised of ranitidine; 25 patients received intravenously 2 0 mg of famotidine; and 45 healthy men served as the control group. Su peroxide dismutase activity, malonyldialdehyde concentration in blood platelets and superoxide anion generation. in granulocytes were determ ined in all examined men. An assay of-superoxide dismutase activity an d malonyldialdehyde concentration were performed before drug administr ation and after 2 and 72 hours. Superoxide anion generation was estima ted before drug administration. and after 2 hours. Results: Our data i ndicate that all examined H-2 receptor antagonists stimulate superoxid e dismutase activity, but after 72 hours a distinct increase was obser ved, in addition to a decrease of malonyldialdehyde concentration. No differences have been observed in superoxide anion generation in patie nts with ulcer disease or in healthy subjects before and after ranitid ine and famotidine administration. Only after 2 hours of cimetidine ad ministration was a significant increase in superoxide anion generation observed. Conclusion: We concluded that H-2 receptor antagonists have a beneficial effect-on antioxidative processes.