Total antioxidant capacity of serum increased in early but not late period after intestinal ischemia in rats.

The ischemia of small intestine was induced in anesthetized Wistar rats by occluding the superior mesenteric artery for 45 min and then the reperfusion was set. Serum samples were obtained at the end of the ischemic period and also during early (1 to 4 h) and late postischemic period (1 to 4 d). The total antioxidant capacity (TRAP) of serum samples was evaluated using luminol enhanced chemiluminescence. The increased mobilization of phagocytic cells and the release of reactive oxygen species into the circulation was observed from the first and second hour of the postischemic period, respectively. Nevertheless, the activity of natural antioxidant mechanisms of serum was already elicited at the end of the ischemic period. Furthermore, the TRAP of serum increased with the increasing duration of early postischemic period. Among the antioxidants studied, urate and ascorbate concentrations exerted the highest correlation with TRAP, but 31.6% of the total antioxidant capacity remained for the activity of an unidentified antioxidant(s). After being exhausted, the TRAP of serum oscillated around the preoperation level at days 1-4 of the postischemic period. The increase in total antioxidant capacity of serum induced by oxidative stress was sufficient to prevent lipoperoxidation both in serum and intestinal tissue.