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Valproic Acid Modulates Superoxide Dismutase, Uric Acid-Independent FRAP and Zinc in Blood of Adult Epileptic Patients

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Abstract

We aimed to evaluate changes in antioxidant status in blood during valproate (VPA) monotherapy of adult patients with epilepsy. Antioxidant enzymes [plasma superoxide dismutase (pSOD), erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (eSOD)] and non-enzymatic indices [concentration of trace elements in serum: selenium, copper, zinc (sZn) and uric acid (UA), as well as the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and UA-independent FRAP (UAiFRAP)] were evaluated in 21 adult patients with epilepsy and 21 healthy controls. Significant differences between the study group and controls were found for pSOD (p = 0.002) and UAiFRAP (p = 0.003). pSOD was higher, whilst UAiFRAP was lower in patients compared to controls. The activity of eSOD was higher in patients treated with VPA for a longer period (7–14 years) in comparison to controls (p = 0.001) and patients with a short period of VPA treatment (p < 0.001). Patients with uncontrolled epilepsy exhibited higher sZn than seizure-free patients (p = 0.041). Standard diet and moderate use of alcohol and/or nicotine did not exert significant effects on redox balance. We conclude that the antioxidant status of epileptic patients is modified by valproate monotherapy. The frequency of seizures and duration of VPA therapy are associated with changes of oxidative/antioxidative balance. The most sensitive and relevant parameters for antioxidative defence mechanism are pSOD, UAiFRAP and sZn.

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Abbreviations

AEDs:

Antiepileptic drugs

eCAT:

Erythrocyte catalase

eSOD:

Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase

FRAP:

Ferric reducing ability of plasma

GPX:

Glutathione peroxidase

GPX3:

Plasma glutathione peroxidase

IGE:

Idiopathic generalised epilepsy

pSOD:

Plasma superoxide dismutase

RNS:

Reactive nitrogen species

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

sCu:

Serum copper concentration

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

sSe:

Serum selenium concentration

sZn:

Serum zinc concentration

UA:

Uric acid

UAiFRAP:

Uric acid-independent ferric reducing ability of plasma

VPA:

Valproate

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Acknowledgements

This study was partly supported by grant from Rinnekoti Research Foundation. The first author thanks Prof. Gerhard Bauer, Prof. Joanna Jędrzejczak and Prof. Jerzy Majkowski for their valuable comments.

Conflict of Interest

Dr. E. Płonka-Półtorak has received support for attendance in congresses in epilepsy and neurology and speaker’s honoraria from UCB-Pharma and Sanofi-Aventis. None of these relations is related to current submission. The remaining authors confirm that there are no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Antiepileptic Outpatient Clinic, Provincial Hospital No. 2, Lwowska 60, 35-301, Rzeszow, Poland

    Elżbieta Płonka-Półtorak

  2. Department of Food Chemistry and Nutrition, Medical College Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland

    Paweł Zagrodzki, Joanna Chłopicka & Henryk Bartoń

  3. Henryk Niewodniczański Institute of Nuclear Physics, Krakow, Poland

    Paweł Zagrodzki

  4. Rinnekoti Research Centre, Espoo, Finland

    Tuomas Westermarck, Pekka Kaipainen & Markus Kaski

  5. Department of Clinical Sciences, Pharmacology & Toxicology, ELTDK, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Faik Atroshi

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  1. Elżbieta Płonka-Półtorak
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  2. Paweł Zagrodzki
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Correspondence to Elżbieta Płonka-Półtorak.

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Płonka-Półtorak, E., Zagrodzki, P., Chłopicka, J. et al. Valproic Acid Modulates Superoxide Dismutase, Uric Acid-Independent FRAP and Zinc in Blood of Adult Epileptic Patients. Biol Trace Elem Res 143, 1424–1434 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9003-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9003-3

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