The Relationship of Oxygen Uptake to Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase Activity in Human Skeletal Muscle

Abstract

A considerable amount of evidence now makes it clear that aerobic tissues require an elaborate enzyme system to remove the harmful reaction products of oxygen reduction. A portion of this protective system has been studied in human muscle and rat tissues. The V̇O₂ max as well as the superoxide dismutase and catalase activity of vastus lateralis muscle of 12 healthy, male subjects was measured. The subjects with a high aerobic capacity (V̇O₂ max > 60 ml·kg^-1·min^-1) had significantly greater levels of both superoxide dismutase and catalase. There was also a linear relationship between both superoxide dismutase and catalase and V̇O₂ max. The tissue oxygen consumption, and enzyme activity of the liver, heart, lung, and gastrocnemius from 24 rats was also studied. There was a significant rank order correlation between tissue V̇O₂ and tissue enzyme activity of both superoxide dismutase and catalase.