UNIDENTIFIED ANTIOXIDANT DEFENSES OF HUMAN PLASMA IN IMMOBILIZED PATIENTS - A POSSIBLE RELATION TO BASIC METABOLIC-RATE

Plasma total peroxyl radical scavenging capacity was studied in termin al patients who were chronically immobilized because of an acute (stro ke) or chronic neurodegenerative disease (Alzheimer's disease). A lumi nometric assay was used to measure total antioxidant capacity (TRAP). The immobilized patients showed significant decrease in TRAP primarily because of a decrease in the concentration of unknown antioxidants. O ur results suggest that human plasma may contain unknown antioxidants, the regulation of which could be related to the basic metabolic rate.