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Med. Pr. 2003;54(1):23-28

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF MELATONIN AND VITAMIN E AGAINST PROOXIDATIVE ACTION OF IRON IONS AND STATIC MAGNETIC FIELD

OCHRONNY WPŁYW MELATONINY I WITAMINY E W PROOKSYDACYJNYM DZIAŁANIU JONÓW ŻELAZA ORAZ STAŁEGO POLA MAGNETYCZNEGO

Jolanta Jajte, Marek Zmyślony, Elżbieta Rajkowska

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of melatonin and vitamin E (trolox) on the level of lipid peroxidation in rat blood lymphocytes after in vitro (3 h) exposure to iron ions and/or 7mT static magnetic field (SMF). The lipid peroxidationprocess was chosen as a marker of free radical mechanism of SMF in cells. The cells were supplemented with (0.5 mM) melatonin or (0.1 mM) vitamin E (trolox) in preincubation.
During SMF exposure in Helmholtz coils some samples were treated with ferrous chloride (10 mg/ml or 20 mg/ml),while the rest served as controls.
There is a significant increase in the amount of lipid peroxidation end-products (4-HNE+MDA) in rat lymphocytes after simultaneous exposure to 7 mT SMF and iron ions (versus control samples and those exposed to SMF alone). Instead, when the cells were treated with melatonin or trolox and then exposed to iron ions and 7 mT SMF, the level of lipid peroxidation was significantly reduced. The results also indicated that melatonin is less effective than vitamin E (trolox) in inhibiting lipid peroxidation under the experimental conditions used.

Key words

melatonin, vitamin E (trolox), magnetic field, lipid peroxidation