Increased Nitrosative Stress and Oxidative DNA Damage in Patients with Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Abstract

Carbon monoxide (CO) remains the most common cause of lethal poisoning around the world. Influence of the brain, which is the most susceptible organ of hypoxia in patients with CO poisoning (COP), is a determining factor of the severity of the clinical condition and mortality. In this study, we aimed to investigate nitric oxide (NO•), peroxynitrite (ONOOˉ), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in the serum of patients with COP during admission and treatment processes. The study was conducted prospectively on 36 patients who were admitted to Gaziantep University Medical Faculty Emergency Medicine Department between November 2015 and March 2016 due to COP. The serum samples were prepared for all the COP patients on admission. They were repeated at 180th min of treatment. The samples were taken once from the control group. We showed that admission levels of NO˙, ONOOˉ, and 8-OHdG, and NOS activity in patients with COP were higher than those observed at 180th min. These values were also higher in COP patients compared to control group. These findings suggested that nitrosative stress might play a role in the pathophysiology of COP and increase DNA damage.