[Influence of copper (II) complex on the activity of selected oxidative enzymes].

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Copper (Supplement), published as a controlled clinical trial.

The aim of the study was to assess the antioxidant enzymes: catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in erythrocytes in 25 patients suffering from coxarthrosis in comparison with healthy persons.

Why It Was Studied

Coxarthrosis results in physical limitations (hypokinesis) and a necessity to change one's life style to the one that does not require much movement.

Physical inactivity leads rapidly to metabolic processes inhibition.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 25 patients were involved.

PubMed indexes the participants as middle-aged adults, both men and women.

The group consisted of 25 patients hospitalized in the Trauma and Orthopaedic Ward of the Hospital in Łódź.

How the Study Was Run

The activity of catalase was determined in erythrocytes using the method of Beers and Sizer at 240 nm on the Beckman spectrophotometer.

The activity of glutathione peroxidase was estimated using the method of Little and O'Brien at 412 nm on the Beckman spectrophotometer.

The research was conducted with the permit of the Bioethics Committee No RNN/260/08/KB dated 20.05.2008.

Blood for the tests was taken from periulnar vein to anticoagulant tubes (EDTA).

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Catalase, Copper, Erythrocytes, Glutathione Peroxidase, Lipid Peroxidation, Organometallic Compounds and Osteoarthritis, Hip.

What This Means in Plain Language

This is a controlled clinical trial of Copper (Supplement) in 25 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 5 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2010 (Polski merkuriusz lekarski : organ Polskiego Towarzystwa Lekarskiego), a journal based in Poland.

More context: the Copper (Supplement) compound page, all human trials.