Carvedilol attenuates oxidative stress in chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND

There is increasing evidence suggesting that Chagas disease involves oxidative damage and contributes to heart disease progression.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of carvedilol on oxidative stress markers in chronic Chagas disease.

METHODS

The study population included 42 patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy and oxidative stress biomarkers were measured before and after a period of six months of treatment with carvedilol (37.5 mg/day). Patients were considered according to the Los Andes classification and the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, S-transferase and reductase, myeloperoxidase and adenosine deaminase; levels of reduced glutathione, thiobarbituric acid reactive species, carbonyl protein, vitamin E and nitric oxide were measured in blood.

RESULTS

After treatment with carvedilol, all groups showed significant reductions in levels of carbonyl protein and reduced glutathione, whereas the levels of nitric oxide and adenosine activity increased significantly only in group IA. Moreover, most of the antioxidant enzymes showed decrease in activity in groups IA and IB.

CONCLUSION

The data suggest that treatment with carvedilol was effective in attenuating oxidative damage, an effect that may be particularly important in patients with chronic Chagas' disease cardiomyopathy.