The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in erythrocytes of rats with experimental neoplastic disease.

In erythrocytes of rats bearing Morris hepatoma 5123 the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase as well as the level of reduced glutathione increased on the 10th day after transplantation of the tumor. In the second phase of the tumor growth (20 days after transplantation), the activities of glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and the level of reduced glutathione in erythrocytes of the experimental animals were lower than in controls, whereas the activity of superoxide dismutase was at that time higher than in controls. On the other hand, the activity of catalase did not significantly differ from that found in healthy rats.