Activity of prooxidant and antioxidant enzymes in rats with hypocorticoid and hypercorticoid states

Objective: to study the activity of enzymes involved in the regulation of blood freeradical oxidation in hypo- and hypercorticoid states. The study was performed on 84 white rats. Hypercorticoid state is achieved by the daily three-hour immobilization interval between exposures. Hypocorticoid condition is simulated by administering a long-acting glucocorticosteroid preparation of triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog, Veb Berlin-Chemie, Germany, dose:2 mg/kg). In whole blood we determined activity of xanthine oxidase, superoxide dismutase,glutathione peroxidase. At hypercorticoid state caused by daily immobilization we observed an increase in activity of xanthine oxidase with simultaneous increase in activity of glutathione peroxidase and catalase. Hypocorticoid induced by the administration of triamcinolone acetonide was associated with decreased activity of xanthine oxidase and myeloperoxidase with simultaneous increase in activity of catalase in the blood. At the studied hypercorticoid state we observed increase in activity prooxidant as well as antioxidant enzymes of blood, and hypocorticoid state was associated with their decline except for glutathione peroxidase. This indicates that glucocorticoids are involved in the regulation of expression of these enzymes.