Antioxidants reduce oxidative stress in claudicants

Background. Low-grade ischemia-reperfusion in claudicants leads to damage o f local tissues and remote organs. Since this damage is partly caused by ox ygen-derived free radicals (ODFR), scavenging these ODFR could reduce the l ocal and remote injury. Methods. Using a new method by which a free radical reaction product (ortho -APOH) of the exogenous marker antipyrine is measured to quantify the oxida tive stress, 16 stable claudicants performed a standard walking test before and after administration of vitamin E (200 mg) and vitamin C (500 mg) dail y for 4 weeks. Findings. Ortho-APOH was significantly increased during the reperfusion per iod (P = 0.026) before administration of the vitamins. After 4 weeks of vit amin supplementation no rise was found in the reperfusion period. Malondial dehyde showed no changes in either group. Interpretation. These findings indicate that administering extra antioxidan ts to claudicants reduces oxidative stress in these patients. This may also have an effect on the remote ischemia-reperfusion damage and reduce cardio vascular morbidity in this group. (C) 2001 Academic Press.