Effects of propylthiouracil, propranolol, and vitamin E on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in hyperthyroid patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine lipid peroxidation and antioxidant states during hyperthyroidism states and after given different treatments. DESIGN AND METHODS: We examined 44 hyperthyroid patients and 19 euthyroid healthy controls. Patients were divided into three groups according to the treatment: Propylthiouracil (PTU) group, PTU + propranolol (PRP) group, PTU + PRP + vitamin E (vitE) group. RESULTS: In the hyperthyroid patients plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly high as compared to the control group (p < 0,001).There was a significant decrease in the MDA levels post-treatment (p < 0.001 in the PTU + PRP group and PTU + PRP + vitE group, p < 0.01 in the PTU group). In the hyperthyroidism, blood reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were lower, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were higher than in the control group, but these changes were not significant. Post-treatment in each of the three groups the GSH levels were increased significantly as compared to the pretreatment levels (p < 0.001). There was significant decrease in the SOD activity post treatment (p < 0.01 in all three groups). Post-treatment CAT activity was decreased (p < 0.05 in the PTU group, p < 0.001 in the other two groups). The erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) activity was lower significantly in the hyperthyroidism as compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Post-treatment, in the three groups Gpx activity increased significantly as compared to the pretreatment levels (p < 0.05 in the PTU group, p < 0.001 in the PTU + PRP group and PTU + PRP + vitE group). CONCLUSION: We considered that giving all three treatments would be useful to the prevention of oxidative stress in the hyperthyroidism states.