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Does xanthine oxidase cause damage during myocardial ischemia?
J W De Jong1, P van der Meer, T Huizer
1Department of Cardiology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Bratislavske Lekarske Listy
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Cardiac xanthine oxidase activity increases with age in rats and is present in patients. However, human hearts show low activity, suggesting cardiac damage from this enzyme is unlikely in humans.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cardiology
- Enzymology
Background:
- Xanthine oxidase (XO), the pathological form of xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), generates free oxygen radicals during the conversion of (hypo)xanthine to urate.
- Understanding cardiac XOR activity is crucial for assessing potential oxidative stress and damage in the heart.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate developmental changes in rat heart XOR activity.
- To assess cardiac urate production in catheterized patients.
- To compare cardiac XOR activity across different species.
Main Methods:
- Enzyme activity assays were performed on rat heart homogenates at various ages.
- Cardiac urate production was measured in catheterized patients.
- Explanted human hearts were perfused with hypoxanthine to determine enzymatic activity, alongside comparative analyses in other species.
Main Results:
- Rat cardiac XOR activity significantly increased from newborn to 15 weeks of age (0.5 to 25 mU/g).
- Cardiac urate production was detected in patients undergoing coronary angioplasty.
- Cardiac XOR activity varied significantly across species, with low levels observed in human and pig hearts compared to mouse, rat, and cow.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac damage due to xanthine oxidase activity is a possibility in several species.
- The low enzymatic activity in human hearts suggests that cardiac damage from xanthine oxidase is unlikely in humans.