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LONG TERM VITAMIN C AND E TREATMENT AND ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IN SCUBA‐DIVING
Author(s) -
Obad Ante,
Palada Ivan,
Valic Zoran,
Dujic Zeljko
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.5.a1249-a
We have recently shown that a single air dive can lead to acute baseline arterial vasodilation and impairment of endothelium‐dependent vasodilatation in man, which we believe is a combined effect of hyperoxia and bubble formation. We prospectively evaluated the effect of long‐term antioxidants (1000 mg vitamin C and 400 IU vitamin E/day for 4 weeks) on arterial endothelial function before and after a single dive. Eight professional male divers with a mean age of 35.6±3.6 years performed an open sea air dive to 30 m for 30 min. Before and after dives peak and 5‐s postocclusion blood flow, shear rate, and brachial artery flow‐mediated dilation (FMD) were assessed. The first dive without antioxidants produced moderate bubble load with a significant brachial arterial diameter increase from 3.85±0.55 to 4.04±0.5 mm and a significant reduction of FMD from 7.6±2.7 to 2.8±2.1% (p=0.0008). The second dive with antioxidants produced similar bubble load with unchanged arterial diameter (3.99±0.37 vs. 4.01±0.38) and significant reduction of FMD from 8.11±2.4 to 6.8±1.4% (p=0.044). FMD reduction was significantly smaller with antioxidants (p=0.0002). Similar responses were observed in normalized FMD (to shear rate), indicating unchanged shear rates at any time point. Peak and 5‐s postocclusion flow rates and nitroglycerine‐induced dilatation were unchanged with antioxidants. This study shows that long term antioxidants treatment can reverse baseline vasodilation and endothelial dysfunction in man that occurs even after a single dive. This study was supported by Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports.