RESUMO
AIM: To study an antioxidant action of antioxidant vitamins (vitamins C, E and provitamin A) in vitro and in vivo. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was made of kinetic parameters of copper-initiated free radical oxidation (FRO) of low density lipoproteins (HDLP) in human blood plasm, antioxidant potential of rat liver and myocardium, the level of FRO products in HDLP and activity of glutathione peroxidase in erythrocytes of 31 males aged 40-64 years with coronary heart disease (CHD). RESULTS: An antioxidant action of the combinations alpha-tocopherol+ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol+beta-carotin was much more potent than that of each of the component alone. The whole complex of the antioxidants completely suppressed FRO of HDLP in the model system. Feeding rats for 30 days with a complex of antioxidant vitamins and selenium produced a sharp enhancement of the antioxidant potential of the liver and a complete suppression of free radical processes in the myocardium. If this complex was given to CHD patients for 2 months, it sharply reduced the amount of FRO primary and secondary products in blood plasm LDLP in growing activity of erythrocytic selenium-containing glutathione peroxidase. CONCLUSION: The scheme is proposed for objective experimental assessment of antioxidant efficacy of multicomponent antioxidant medication in laboratory and clinical trials.