Activities of antioxidant enzymes in fibroblasts cultured in vitro in the presence of hydralazine

Abstract

Variations in superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activity were studied in fibroblasts cultured in the presence of hydralazine, a drug known to be an inducer of the so-called collagen-like syndrome. The results demonstrated that both superoxide dismutase and catalase undergo a marked decrease in their activity, whereas glutathione peroxidase manifests a significant increase in its activity after treatment with hydralazine as compared to control cell cultures. Also the lipid peroxide concentration as expressed by the malondialdehyde amount was estimated in the above cultures. The altered antioxidant enzyme activity and the presence of byproducts of free radical damage support the possibility that the action of hydralazine leading to the pathogenesis of collagen disease-like syndrome involves an abnormal free-radical metabolism.