The dynamics of selenium content in the plasma, lymph, and myocardium and plasma antioxidant activity were studied in male NISAG (hereditary stress-induced arterial hypertension) and Wistar rats with acute myocardial infarction and during recovery. In NISAG rats the decrease in selenium content correlated with the decrease in antioxidant activity. This probably aggravates the symptoms of experimental myocardial infarction in animals with hereditary arterial hypertension.

Plasma, lymph and myocardial Fe(2+) contents and blood antioxidant activity were studied in hypertensive NISAG and normotensive Wistar rats with experimental myocardial infarction. In hypertensive rats, iron levels in plasma, lymph and myocardial tissue were increased throughout the experiment. In both strains iron content in the plasma during experimental myocardial infarction negatively correlated with blood antioxidant activity. In hypertensive NISAG rats this correlation persisted also during recovery. This attests to prooxidant effect of Fe(2+) aggravating the course of myocardial infarction in NISAG rats.