Antioxidant and glutathione-related enzymatic activities in rat sciatic nerve.

The present work tries to establish the antioxidant capacity of the peripheral nervous tissue of the rat, in terms of the enzymatic activities present in this tissue that either prevent the formation of activated species as the semiquinone radical (DT-diaphorase), protect against activated oxygen species (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase), conjugate natural toxic products or xenobiotics (glutathione S-transferase, especially the activity conjugating 4-hydroxy-nonenal), or complete the glutathione system metabolism (glutathione disulfide reductase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase). All the activities studied are lower in this tissue than they are in liver, except for gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. The relevance of the results obtained and its possible relationship with different neuropathies is discussed. It is concluded that the peripheral nervous tissue is by far less protected than the liver against oxidative damage.