Effect of anoxia and reoxygenation on antioxidant enzyme activities in immortalized brain endothelial cells.

The effects of anoxia and reoxygenation on major antioxidant enzyme activities were investigated in vitro in immortalized rat brain endothelial cells (RBE4 cells). A sublethal anoxic period of 12 h was assessed for RBE4 cells using the neutral red uptake test. Anoxia markedly influenced the specific activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase, with no major effect on glutathione peroxidase or glutathione reductase. After 24 h postanoxia, the superoxide dismutase activity modulated by the presence or absence of oxygen returned to control value. Damage and recovery of RBE4 immortalized rat brain endothelial cells in culture after exposure to free radicals and other oxygen-derived species provides a useful in vitro model to study anoxia-reoxygenation trauma at the cellular level.