Steshenko M. Changes in prooxidant-antioxidant balance and functional state of rat myocardium mitochondria during acute hypoxia and means of their prevention

Dissertation is devoted to the study of changes in the prooxidant-antioxidant balance and functional state of mitochondria of rat myocardium during acute hypoxia and possibility to apply the intermittent hypoxic-hyperoxic training (IHHT) and mexidol to prevent them. It was shown that the acute hypoxic hypoxia caused development of mitochondrial dysfunction and disturbance of the mitochondrial prooxidant-antioxidant balance compared with control. IHHT and administration of mexidol were effective in preventing these changes and increased efficiency of mitochondrial respiratory chain, reduced overactivation of Mn-SOD and catalase and recovered to control values enzyme activity of glutathione system, compared to effects of acute hypoxia on control animals. However, these approaches greatly differ in their mechanisms of action. The results of our research demonstrated that IHHT causes adaptive genetic changes in endogenous antioxidant defense systems by periodic stimulation of redox-sensitive signaling pathways, including protein and mRNA expression of Mn-SOD, while the effects of mexydol based on its own antioxidant and antihypoxic properties.