OBJECTIVE

to evaluate the influence of processes of lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant protection on the function of external respiration in children-residents of radioactive contaminated territories.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

There were examined children of school age, inhabitants of radioactive contaminated ter- ritories (RCT) without respiratory and pulmonary pathology, and patients with bronchial asthma (BA). Examination of the ventilation lung function was performed by the method of pneumotachography according to the analysis of the «flow-volume» loop. End products of lipid peroxidation (LPO), reacting with thiobarbituric acid (malondialde- hyde), enzymes-antioxidants - catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione transferase were studied to determine the signs of oxidative stress.

RESULTS

Examinations of ventilation lung function in children-residents of RCT without respiratory and pulmonary pathology showed no significant deviations of its parameters beyond the limits of physiological fluctuations; a decrease in bronchial patency at different levels of the bronchial tree was established in children with BA. An increased incidence of bronchial hyperreactivity was noted in both the patients with BA and those who did not have bronchopulmonary pathology. The absence of an increase in the content of LPO products (malondialdehyde) in blood serum of children-residents of RCT with increased activity of catalase and group of glutathione enzymes indi- cates the sufficiency of compensatory possibilities of antioxidant protection.

CONCLUSIONS

Studies of correlation between the function of external respiration and markers of oxidative stress determined that the indices of bronchial patency directly correlate with the activity of enzymes-antioxidants of the glutathione group and inversely - with the content of the LPO products in children-residents of RCT. The frequency of bronchospasm inversely correlated with the activity of glutathione group antioxidants. There are inverse correla- tion of 137Cs content in the body with the activity of glutathione transferase and glutathione peroxidase.