[The effect of enflurane anesthesia on plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity in elderly patients]

Plasma SOD-like activity during enflurane anesthesia was measured according to electron spin resonance in ten elderly patients over 66 years and in nine patients under 64 years. Anesthesia was induced with thiopental 4 mg.kg-1 and succinyl-choline 0.8-1.0 mg.kg-1 intravenously and was maintained with enflurane 1.0-2.0% in nitrous oxide and oxygen. They were ventilated manually throughout the surgery. The mean plasma SOD-like activity before anesthesia was lower in the elderly group compared with the control group. This decreased significantly in the elderly patients on the first and third day after surgery. There was no relationship between plasma SOD like activity and patient age. We conclude that increased superoxide anion production in the post-operative period may affect plasma SOD-like activity.