Erythrocyte antioxidant status in asymptomatic hypercholesterolemic men Original Research Article

An imbalance between antioxidant and oxidant-generating systems leading to an oxidative stress has already been proposed in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In the present study we investigated the antioxidant status in 60 asymptomatic hypercholesterolemic (HC) men compared with 48 normocholesterolemic (NC) men. Hypercholesterolemic subjects had a significantly lower red blood cell vitamin E (vit E-RBC) content in spite of their normal total plasma and HDL vitamin E concentrations. Activities of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were not significantly different between groups. We also determined the resistance of RBCs to an oxidative stress by determining the extent of hemolysis induced by a water-soluble azo-compound. This resistance was significantly decreased in HC men compared with NC subjects. These results demonstrate an altered antioxidant status of RBC in asymptomatic HC men associated with an increased erythrocyte susceptibility to an oxidative stress. The measure of the vitamin E content in RBC might be the most sensitive parameter for evidencing early oxidative stress which does not need an adaptation of enzymatic protective systems.