Vitreous Humour Lipid Peroxidation as an Emerging Concept of Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a euphoric poisonous gas with the predisposition of causing death depending on its concentration. This study was designed to assess the effects of acute CO poisoning on oxidative stress indicators and other ancillary biochemical parameters. Eighteen (18) rabbits divided into three groups of six each constituted the sample size. The groups comprised of controls (CG), disguised death (DD) and CO death (CD). The CO utilized for the study was a product of portable generating set (SUMEC). Vitreous humor was extracted from the eyes of rabbits and assayed for lipid peroxidation parameters such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malonaldehyde (MDA), glutathione reducatase (GT), lipid profiles, uric acids and glucose using standard methods. The result showed that vitreous SOD was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in both the DD and CD, but more markedly lower in the CD. On the contrarily, vitreous CAT was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the DDs. Also, vitreous MDA exhibited significant increase (P < 0.05) in both the DDs and CDs. Vitreous GT showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). The vitreous lipid profiles result showed a pan markedly significant decrease (P < 0.05) in the CDs as compared to the DDs. Vitreous uric acid exhibited a significant decrease only in the CDs, whereas vitreous glucose decreased both in the DD and CD, but more pronounced in the DD. Therefore, the findings showed that lipid peroxidation is a phenomenon associated with acute carbon monoxide poisoning.