title: Sex differences in nitrite/nitrate levels and antioxidant defense in rat brain.
abstract: This study assessed sex differences in stable metabolites of nitric oxide and major enzymes involved in antioxidant defense in various regions of rat brain. Nitrite/nitrate levels and activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were determined in cortex, hippocampus, corpus striatum, midbrain and cerebellum of adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Nitrite/nitrate levels were significantly higher in the cortex and the hippocampus of male than female rats, while catalase activity was higher in the cortex of females than in males. These sex differences may have significant effects on brain function in health and disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Ege University Center for Brain Research, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Taskiran
authors.forename: F Z
authors.initials: FZ
authors.lastname: Kutay
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sozmen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pogun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000378:metabolism; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase