Oxidative stress of vanadium-mediated oxygen free radical generation stimulated by aluminium on human erythrocytes.

It has been suggested that aluminium stimulates vanadium-mediated superoxide radical generation. The oxidative stress of generated superoxide radicals on antioxidant enzyme activity, oxidation of NADH and NADPH, membrane lipid peroxidation and osmotic fragility in human red blood cells (RBC) was investigated. RBC were incubated with varying concentrations of vanadium and aluminium ions at 37 degrees C for 2 h. RBC incubated with vanadium ions showed significantly increased superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, and oxidized NADH and NADPH concentrations compared with control RBC preparations. Erythrocyte lipid peroxidation was assessed by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactivity. RBC incubated with elevated levels of vanadium showed significantly increased membrane lipid peroxidation when compared with control RBC; it increased further on addition of aluminium. A significant positive correlation was observed between the extent of vanadium induced membrane lipid peroxidation and the osmotic fragility of treated RBC. In the presence of vanadium, aluminium stimulates superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. NADH and NADPH oxidation and membrane lipid peroxidation, as well as increasing osmotic fragility of human erythrocytes. The stimulatory effect of aluminium was dependent on concentration. These results may have implications for the mechanism of toxicity of aluminium and vanadium in haemodialysis patients.