OXIDATIVE STRESS-RELATED PARAMETERS IN PROSTATE OF RATS WITH EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE PROSTATITIS

BACKGROUND. Oxidative stress in tissues can be provoked by an augmente d metabolic rate, which may sometimes be combined with a decrease in t he antioxidant capacity. METHODS. In this study we examined the primar y enzymatic defense mechanisms against the damage caused by reactive o xygen species (ROS): the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activ ities and glutathione content, as well as the levels of total thiobarb ituric acid-reactant substances (TBARS), indicative of lipid peroxidat ion. These studies were made in prostate homogenates of rats with expe rimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) and of control rats treated with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) or nontreated. RESULTS. The evaluati on of antioxidant defenses revealed a significant diminution of the ca talase activity in autoimmune rats without changes in SOD activity and glutathione content. TEARS levels evidenced a significant increase in prostate homogenates from autoimmune rats in relation to control rat samples. CONCLUSIONS. The results suggest that in EAP, a marked diminu tion of catalase activity associated with an enhanced oxidative metabo lism of inflammatory macrophages might lead to oxidative damage in thi s autoimmune disease. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.