TABLE 1.

Different methods used in blood samples analysis.

Parameters	Method
Lactate [La]	Lactate oxidase peroxidase method (intra and inter-assay coefficient of variation (CV) were: 0.9% and 1.9%, respectively)
Glucose (GLC)	Glucose hexokinase method (intra and inter-assay CV were: 0.9% and 1.3%, respectively)
Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)	Kinetic method at 340 nm
Creatine Kinase (CK)	Kinetic method at 340 nm
Urea (URE)	Kinetic enzymatic method (intra and inter-assay CV were: 0.3% and 5.6%, respectively).
Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx)	Spectrophotometric method based on Paglia and Valentine (1967) method (with Ransel RS. 505 kit, from Randox; Randox Laboratories Ltd. Crumlin, County Antrim, UK). The intra and inter assays CV were: 7.3 and 4.8%, respectively.
Superoxide Dismutase (SOD)	SOD activity in erythrocytes was measured by the rate of inhibition of 2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenol)-5-phenyltetrazolium chloride (INT) reduction. The kit used in this method was from Randox Lab (Ransod, RX MONZA). 0.5 ml of whole blood was centrifuged and then separated from the plasma. Erythrocytes were washed four times with 3 ml of 0.9% NaCl solution and centrifuged after each wash. 2.0 ml with cold redistilled water was added to the resulting erythrocytes, mixed and left to stand at +4°C for 15 minutes. A 25 fold dilution of lysate was then added. The intra and inter assays CV were: 5.9 and 4.6% respectively.