Effect of the inhibition of xanthine oxidase in hepatic cells lipid peroxidation

Our objective was to study the effect of allopurinol - an inhibitor of xant hine oxidase - in hepatic cell lipid peroxidation caused by oxygen free rad icals. We used Wistar rats divided into three groups: (1) non-ischaemic gro up; (2) rats given ischaemia for 50 min followed by 50 min of hepatic reper fusion; and (3) rats given allopurinol (50 mg/kg: intraperitoneally) 5 h an d 1 h before the hepatic ischaemia-reperfusion. We measured hepatic lipid p eroxidation by the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances method and the t ert-butyl hydroperoxide-initiated chemiluminescence technique. Hepatic lipi d peroxidation was significantly higher in the hepatic ischaemia-reperfusio n animals (P < 0.05). Furthermore, pre-treatment with allopurinol reduced s ignificantly the concentration of malondialdehyde (a product of lipid perox idation) (0.165 +/- 0.021 vs 0.285 +/- 0.022 nmol/mg of protein; P < 0.05), and the emission of chemiluminescence (4,097 +/- 678 vs 6,057 +/- 376 coun ts/s/mg of protein; P < 0.05) in the rats subjected to hepatic ischaemia-re perfusion. Med Sci Res 27:829-830 (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.