[Lipid peroxidation in experimental arterial hypertension].

The studies were conducted on mature non-inbred male rats. Renovascular hypertension (RAH) was induced by aortic ligation between the renal arteries. The rats were included into the experiment following 14 days (acute PAH) and 1.5 months (chronic RAH) of ligation. The hypertensive rats displayed activated lipid peroxidation (LPO) processes, especially in rats with severe chronic PAH that had elevated serum levels of dienic conjugates and malonic dialdehyde as compared with control rats. Concurrently, the status of some antioxidative systems of the body was assessed--the concentration of tocopherol-like compounds and total sulfhydryl groups were measured. There were no changes in the levels of tocopherols in RAH rats as compared with the control, regardless of the duration of RAH. The content of total sulfhydryl groups declined in rats with acute RAH, in those with chronic RAH in particular, which is likely to be due to the depletion of reducing equivalents involved in the protection of cellular membranes from LPO metabolites excessively formed in RAH.