A single exposure to hyperbaric oxygen does not cause oxidative stress in isolated platelets: no effect on superoxide...

The aim of the study was to investigate whether a single hyperbaric oxygen exposure causes oxidative stress in isolated platelets.

Isolated horse platelets were exposed to 100% oxygen at 2.2 atmospheres, or 100% oxygen under normobaric conditions, or air under normobaric conditions for 90 min.

There were no differences in platelet SOD activity between conditions, but there was a rise in SOD in all cases after 24 h (in control platelets at 24 h, SOD was 11.9 +/- 1.9 nmol/min/mg protein compared to initial background levels of 8.2 +/- 1.9 nmol/min/mg protein) (P < 0.05). Neither platelet catalase activity nor platelet GSH concentration changed over time, nor between conditions (catalase activity remained at around 12 units/mg protein, and GSH at around 1.58 nmol/mg protein).

These data suggest that a single HBO exposure has no detrimental effect on platelet biochemistry, and does not cause overt oxidative stress in vitro.