[Super-oxide dismutase and catalase in smokers]

In this work, the results of a study concerning the variation of superoxid dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities to smokers are presented. The study has been performed on volunteers, blood donors, men, between 20-60 years. In the smokers group, 20 donors who smoke over 10 cigarettes/day over 5 years have been included. In the control group, 12 donors who never smoked or stopped to smoke over 4 years have been included. SOD and catalase activities have been determined spectrophotometrically from erythrocytes lysis; the enzymatic activity has been reported to g Hb. The results show a decreasing of SOD activity to smokers reporting to the control group, totally with 17.7% (from 69.6 +/- 18.6 to 57.3 +/- 26.6 U/gHb). Comparing with control group, the catalase has been induced to smokers with 0.04%, from 8.82 +/- 3.32 to 9.18 +/- 8.66 x 10(3) U/gHb. Statistically, the variations are insignificant and we suspect the interferation of alcohol as an important oxidative stress inductor.