Effects of copper and selenium on electric parameters of cultured myocardial cells damaged by xanthine-xanthine oxidase.

Addition of xanthine 0.42 mmol.L-1 and xanthine oxidase 5.3 nmol.L-1 (X-XO) to the culture medium increased the amplitude of ESR spectra of myocardial cells, demonstrating an increase in free radical contents; diminished the action potential parameters significantly and reduced the input impedances from 0.34 +/- 0.11 to 0.24 +/- 0.1 M omega, expressing a typical electrical appearance of membrane damage. Supplying Cu 62.5 ng.ml-1 and/or Se 173 ng.ml-1 to the medium brought all of the electric parameters and the free radical content of myocardial cells back to normal. The results indicate that both the two trace elements are able to scavenge free radicals, thus antagonizing X-XO, which induces damage to myocardial cells.