[Protective effect of selenium on human erythrocyte rheology]

To assess the protective effect of selenium on RBC rheology during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion period in patients with VSD or ASD who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass.

The blood samples were taken from the coronary sinus, and ascorbyl free radical (A.), peroxidants (MDA), antiperoxidative activities (plasma SOD, erythrocyte GSH-Px), the membrane shear elastic module of RBC (mu), molecular rotational correlation times of lipids and proteins of RBC membrane (tau l, tau p) were measured and compared between control and selenium groups.

After myocardial reperfusion only for one minute, in both groups A. was significantly increased (The increased percentage in the control group +68%, in the selenium group +66%), but the selenium group had lower MDA and GSH-Px activity. On contrary to the control group with high A. level, A. of the selenium group was dropped about half since reperfusion for 5 minutes and recovered to the pre-ischemia level. After myocardial reperfusion, the control group had specific changes in membrane mu values as well as evidently prologed tau l and tau p. Simultaneously, except tau p at 5 minutes of reperfusion was obviously prolonged, no changes in the membrane mu and tau l were observed in the selenium group during the cardiac ischemia/reperfusion periol.

Selenium can at least partly protect RBC rheology from free radical damage during the myocardial ischemia/reperfusion period.