The effect of low molecular weight heparin as an antioxidant in chronic kidney disease

Objective To identify the anti-oxidative effect of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Method Forty CKD patients at stage 3-5 were randomly divided into two groups, glutathione (GSH) group (0.9% NaCl 250ml + Glutathione 1.8g/d, intravenous injection for 10 days) and LMWH group (Fraxiparine 0.4ml/d, subcutaneous injection for 10 days). Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) and glutathione peroxidase activity (GSH-PX) were measured at the beginning and the end of glutathione or LMWH administration. Results Plasma AOPP decreased and plasma GSH-PX increased significantly after the treatment in both LMWH and GSH groups (P0.05). The decrease of plasma AOPP was more significant in GSH group than in LMWH group (2.86±0.82 vs. 4.89±0.66μmol/l, P0.05). After the treatment, plasma MDA did not change significantly in LMWH group, but decreased (5.09±1.44 vs. 4.61±1.30nmol/ml, P0.05) in GSH group. There were no apparent side effects in both groups. Conclusion LMWH ameliorates oxidative stress state without apparent side effects. The anti-oxidative effect of LMWH is slightly lower than that of GSH.