Investigation on Blood Ecological Oxidative Balance in Rats after Treatment with Rimifon

The steady-state levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) determined by the balance between their rates of production and rates of clearance by scavenging mechanisms could be called ecological oxidative balance (EOB) in the biological system. A first-line drug with superior efficacy, used in treating Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, is rimifon (isonicotinic acid hydrazide, INH). One of the major obstacles in the use of INH as antitubercular drug is related to its toxic side effects. The aim of the present study was to determine whether rimifon (INH) disrupts the EOB. For this purpose we investigated the concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and level of the activities of antioxidant defense enzymes SOD and CAT in blood of albino Wistar rats treated with INH p.o. at 75 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg. Our results confirmed that rats treated with INH had a high blood plasma formation of lipid peroxidation products and that INH treatment was accompanied by increased levels of NO compared to controls (p<0.001). The results of the present study showed statistically significant decreased erythrocyte SOD and CAT activities in INH-treated rats as compared to the control healthy untreated ones 30 days after p.o. treatment with INH at doses 75 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg (p<0.05). Our results suggested increased oxidative stress and disruption of EOB in rats treated 30 days with INH p.o. 75 and 150 mg/kg.