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

Eda AĞAŞÇIOĞLU

Çankaya Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Ankara

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

Abstract

Oxidative damage may occur during hypoxia. Under hypoxic conditions, elderly have weaker defense against oxidative damage. The present study aims to examine the effects of acute mild-strength hypobaric hypoxia on aged rats’ myocardial left ventricle oxidative damage. In the study, 24 months’ old Wistar albino rats were used. Following six hours of exposure to 6000 m altitude, heart muscles’ radical damage indicators, i.e. lipid hydroperoxides, protein carbonyl, advanced oxidation protein products, total thiol and protein thiol levels were measured. Both protein carbonyl and lipid hydroperoxide levels in old rats’ heart muscle left ventricles were found to be significantly higher (p<0.000) in the hypoxic group, compared with the control group. However, there was no difference between control and hypoxic groups in terms of advanced oxidation protein product levels. Hypoxic groups’ levels of left ventricle total thiols and protein thiols were measured to be statistically lower (p<0.000) in relation to the control group. High negative correlation (r=-0.882, p<0.000) was observed between levels of protein thiols and protein carbonyls. The study results illustrate that acute mild-strength 6000 m hypobaric hypoxia may cause oxidative damage in old rats’ heart muscles.