Membrane perturbations in myocardium: oxygen radicals mediate injuries in experiments

Experiments were undertaken on rats and dogs to study the range of endogenous lipid peroxidation (measured by formation of malondialdehyde in heart tissue) and to analyse the effects of hyperoxic, hypoxic and ischaemic influences. The acute hyperoxia caused a moderate increase in lipid peroxidation. The malondialdehyde formation was perceptibly higher in hypoxia, while the highest values were found in ischaemic hearts. It can be concluded that the cytotoxic oxygen metabolites cause unfavourable influences on heart structure and function, for this reason an antioxidant therapy is to be recommended.