p-ISSN: 1300-0551
e-ISSN: 2587-1498

Eda AĞAŞÇIOĞLU1, Rıdvan ÇOLAK2, Metin BAŞTUĞ3, Hakan FIÇICILAR3, Haydar DEMİREL4

1Çankaya Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara
2Ardahan Üniversitesi, Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Yüksek Okulu, Ardahan
3Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Fizyoloji Anabilim Dalı, Ankara
4Hacettepe Üniversitesi, Spor Bilimleri Fakültesi, Ankara

Keywords: High altitude, free radicals, damage indicators, heart muscle, Wistar albino rats

Abstract

Free radicals may cause oxidative damage during hypoxia. The present study aims to examine the effects of acute mild-strength hypobaric hypoxia on rats’ myocardial left ventricle oxidative damage. In the study, young (four months’ old) Wistar albino rats were used. Following 6 hours exposure to 6000 m altitude, heart muscles’ oxidative damage indicators as lipid hydroperoxides, protein carbonyl, advanced oxidation protein products, total thiol and protein thiol levels were measured. Protein carbonyl and lipid hydroperoxide levels were both significantly higher (p<0.000) in young rats’ heart muscle left ventricles in the hypoxic group compared with the control group. Similar result was illustrated for advanced oxidation protein products (p<0.05). In contrast, left ventricle total thiol and protein thiol levels in the hypoxic group were both measured to be statistically lower (p<0.000) in relation to the control group. High negative correlation (r=-0.941, p<0.000) was observed between protein thiols and protein carbonyls. The results of this study indicate that acute mild-strength hypobaric hypoxia may cause oxidative damage in rats’ heart muscles.

Acknowledgments

Araştırmamızın biyokimyasal analizlerinde, gerek deneyimiyle, gerekse bilgisiyle bizden yardımlarını esirgemeyen Cerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi, Temel Tıp Bilimleri Bölümü, Tıbbi Biyokimya Anabilim Dalı öğretim üyesi Doç. Dr. Ufuk Çakatay’a teşekkür ederiz.