Age, Vol. 14, 33-38, 1991 SERUM LIPIDS AND LIPID PEROXIDATION PATTERN IN INDUSTRIAL AND RURAL WORKERS IN INDIA K.K. Reddy TM, G. Bulliyyal, T. Rama Chandraiah 2, K.S. Kumari 3, p. Reddanna 4 and K. Thyagaraju 5 1 Research Scholar 2Reader, Dept. of Physical Anthropology S.V. University Tirupati- 517 502, A.P. INDIA 3professor of Biochemistry S.V. Medical College Tirupati - 517 502, A.P. INDIA 4Lecturer, Department of Zoology S.V. University Tirupati - 517 502, A.P. INDIA 5Lecturer, Department of Biochemistry S.V. University Tirupati- 517 502, A.P. INDIA ABSTRACT In order to study the impact of industrial pollutants or toxicants in free radical generation and age- associated cardiovascular diseases, serum choles- terol, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, lipid peroxide levels, uric acid and blood pressure were studied in 67 male urban industrial and 85 male rural workers. In industrial workers, the higher levels of cholesterol, lipid peroxides and uric acid are observed due to pollutants like smoke, tar or high furnace temperature. The incidence of hyper- tension is greater in industrial workers as com- pared to rural workers. Rural workers have higher levels of HDL-cholesterol. The elevated serum uric acid levels are thought to be a physiological com- pensatory mechanism against oxidative stress. The aim of the present study is to determine the dif- ference between rural and industrial Workers in relation to lipids and lipid peroxide levels. These results may demonstrate the important role of lipid peroxides in age-associated cardiovascular diseases. INTRODUCTION In recent years, lipoperoxides and toxicity by oxygen radicals have been suggested as major causes of cancer, atherosclerosis and the aging process (1-3). Stress, emotion and pollutants are considered to be predisposing and precipitating factors for physical illness (4) and premature aging (5). Oxygen radicals and other oxidants appear to be toxic in large part *To whom all correspondence should be addressed: K.K. Reddy Research Scholar Department of Physical Anthropology Sri Venkateswara University Tirupati - 517 502, A.P. INDIA Phone 20166, Ext. 263 because they initiate the chain reaction of lipid per- oxidation. Lipid peroxides may come from three dif- ferent sources: 1. Endogenous lipid peroxides, 2. Produced in platelets during the synthesis of prosta- glandin and thromboxane and 3. From other sources such as the metabolism of arachidonic acid. Lipid per- oxidation generates various reactive species including radicals, hydroperoxides, aldehydes and epoxides with the capability of causing damage to DNA, RNA, pro- teins, cellular membranes and cellular organization. Lipoperoxides may induce tissue damage as a con- sequence of the radical production, subsequent exertion of harmful effects including degradation of proteins by forming polymerized substances and inactivation of enzymes. These free radical reactions would be expected to produce progressive adverse changes throughout the body and have been implicated in a growing number of diseases and environmental factors such as industrial pollutants or toxicants that produce an increased rate of radical production (6). Aerobic organisms have an array of protective mechanisms for both preventing the formation of oxidants and lipid peroxidation and for repairing oxidative damage. Defenses that have evolved to limit the rate of production of free radical damage include antioxidants, such as tocopherols (7), carotenes (8), heme-containing peroxidases (9), the selenium con- taining glutathione peroxidases (9), superoxide dis- mutases (10) and elevated serum uric acid levels (11 ). The lipid status in human blood has been investigated mainly in Western countries, especially with respect to various forms of hyperlipidemia and its role in cardio- vascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and obesity. Epidemiologically it is known that relationship exists between the above diseases and lipids (12); however, studies have been limited to date to industrialized countries (13). There is no available data concerning lipids and lipoperoxide status from developing countries such as India. There are populations in developing countries where the modernization of lifestyle has resulted in a significant increase in chronic degener- ative diseases including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, heart disease and gout (14). The present study aims to evaluate the lipids and lipoperoxide pattern in industrial and rural workers in India to explore the effect of pollution and modernization on age-associated cardiovascular diseases. RESULTS Blood pressure (BP), cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, malondialdehyde (MDA) and uric acid values total and by age are reported in Tables 1 and 2. A closer exam- ination of the results revealed a statistically significant elevation 0f blood pressure, cholesterol and lipid per- oxide levels in industrial workers as compared to rural 33