Affiliations: Department of Molecular Biology, Russian State Medical
University, Moscow, Russia | Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata – IRCCS, Rome,
Italy
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Professor Ludmila Korkina MD, PhD.,
Dr. Sci., Head, Dept. Molecular Biology, Russian State Medical University, 1
Ostrovityanova, 117513 Moscow, Russia. Tel.: +7095 434 7187; Fax: +7095 434
7187; E-mail: korkin@aha.ru
Abstract: The manual workers of the gas-and-oil extraction industry are
exposed to hostile environmental and occupational conditions, resulting in
elevated mortality and disability, due to chronic neurological and
cardiovascular diseases. We evaluated the degree of oxidative stress, often
associated with these pathological features, in the blood of manual and office
employees of Russian Siberian extraction plants, and their psycho-physiological
conditions. Results showed increased levels of spontaneous (p < 0.05) and
PMA-activated (p < 0.01) luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (LDCL) in the
white blood cells (WBC), and decreased peroxynitrite levels (p < 0.05) in
the group of manual workers, and less markedly in the clerks and technicians
working on spot, vs. a control group of city clerks. Superoxide release by WBC,
and plasma/WBC membrane ubiquinol levels did not display major differences in
the three groups. A relevant percentage of manual/office workers of extraction
platforms presented impaired cardiovascular and neurological functions. The
short term administration of a nutraceutical formulation based on
coenzyme_{10}, vitamin E, selenium, methionine and
phospholipids led to significant improvement of cardiovascular parameters and
psycho-emotional status, consistent with the normalization of LDCL and
peroxynitrite production by WBC, with a good compliance to treatment confirmed
by the increased blood levels of ubiquinol.
