Effects of Tramadol on Antioxidant Enzymes, Total Antioxidant Capacity, and Some Vitamins in Tramadol Abusers

Tramadol is a fully synthetic opioid pain reliever or analgesic that works by changing the way the body senses pain. There is, however, insufficient report on the role exerted by tramadol towards causing a depletion in the serum antioxidant enzymes— superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GPX) and total antioxidant vitamins— vitamin A, C, D and E in tramadol abusers especially in Nigeria. This study was therefore carried out to evaluate the blood levels of the antioxidant enzymes— superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione, the total antioxidant capacity and the blood levels of the antioxidant vitamins— vitamins A, C, D and E in tramadol abusers in a Nigerian population. At first, the study subjects' ethical approval and informed consent were obtained. A total of 90 healthy male adult samples who are within the ages of 20 to 40 years were selected. This consists of 45 tramadol abusers and 45 non-abusers who served as control. Venous blood samples were collected, and the serum levels of the antioxidant enzymes and vitamins were estimated. Significant decreases in glutathione peroxidase and SOD but no significant difference in catalase and TAC activity were observed in tramadol abusers when compared with the control group. There was also a significant increase in serum vitamin A in all tramadol users compared to control. There was a significant decrease in serum vitamin C levels in all tramadol users compared to the control group. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in serum vitamin D and E in Tramadol Users compared to controls. In this study, serum vitamin C was significantly negatively correlated with serum E in Tramadol Users. At the same time, there was no significant correlation between vitamin C and vitamins A and D in Tramadol users. There was no significant correlation between vitamin A and vitamins C, D, and E in Tramadol users. This means that the blood level of vitamin A may not affect the blood level of vitamins C, D and E in tramadol users. The findings in this study are essential to the Nigerian population on the use of tramadol as this may predispose them to hypervitaminosis A and vitamin C deficiency. However, more studies are required to elucidate the present report.