Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of two different doses in 28-day L-arginine oral supplementation on nitric oxide (NO) concentration and total antioxidant status (TAS) in patients with atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease at Fontaine's stages II and III.
Material/methods: 32 patients were divided into 2 groups receiving L-arginine at 3i2 g/day (group A) or 3i4 g/day (group B). Nitric oxide concentration was determined with the testing set provided by Oxis using a Hyperion Micro Reader. Total antioxidant status (TAS) in mmol/l was established in serum with the RANDOX NX2332 test.
Results: Group A showed substantially higher NO levels after 14 and 28 days of therapy. In group B, the NO level increase was substantial after 28 days. Noticeably higher total antioxidant statuses were noted in both groups: group A showed this only after 28 days of treatment, while group B exhibited substantial increase in TAS after 7, 14 and 28 days of L-arginine supplementation.
Conclusions: Oral supplementation of L-arginine for 28 days leads to substantial increases in NO and TAS levels (comparable in both groups of patients) in the blood of patients with atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease at Fontaine's stages II and III. The TAS concentration rise points to an antioxidative effect of L-arginine oral supplementation.