Enhanced lipid peroxidation in patients during coronary artery bypass grafting.

Lipid peroxidation products were measured at various time intervals in 20 patients with coronary artery disease, who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Post-operative blood lipid peroxides were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.001) than the preoperative value. Lipid peroxides raised to a peak value of 46.42 +/- 12.86 n mol/g Alb at 5 min of reperfusion when compared to the basal value and afterwards the level declined to 41.02 +/- 7.09 at 2 hrs and remained in that level even at 24 hrs of reperfusion. This increase implies an enhancement in free radical mediated oxidation of membrane lipids during bypass surgery and thus provides evidence for free radical generation during myocardial reperfusion.