[Indicators of oxidative stress in aging rat brain. The effect of nerve growth factor].
OBJECTIVE
Increased oxidative stress during ageing and the neurodegenerative disorders associated with this has been described. The central nervous system is particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage because of its high energy requirements, high oxygen consumption, high tissue concentration of iron and relatively low levels of some antioxidant systems. Treatment with neurotrophic factors may reverse neurone deterioration and stimulate cholinergic activity in aged rats. It may have a similar neuroprotector effect against damage due to ischaemic reperfusion, hypoglycaemia, inflammation and other pathological conditions involving oxidative stress. In this study we determined some indicators of oxidative stress in rat brains during ageing and evaluated this in response to a plan of treatment with murine nerve growth factor (FCN) for 38 days.


METHODS
Biochemical techniques were used for determination of oxidative stress indicators.


CONCLUSIONS
We found that with age there was a significant increase in phospholipase A2 and superoxide dysmutase activity and concentration of hipoperoxidases, whilst the concentration of reduced glutathion fell. Catalase activity increased in the hippocampal and striate regions and decreased in the cortex and septal area. There was less oxidative stress in rats treated with FCN. In view of our results, we conclude that the level of oxidative stress increases with ageing, with significant differences between areas of the brain. The region most vulnerable to damage from species reactive to oxygen was the hippocampus, and the protective effect of FCN may be related to potentiation of antioxidant defenses.
Rodríguez-Capote
K
K
Instituto Superior de Ciencias Básicasy Preclínicas Victoria de Girón, La Habana, Cuba. elace@vgiron.giron.sld.cu
Céspedes
E
E
Arencibia
R
R
González-Hoyuela
M
M
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000378:metabolism; D054467:Phospholipases A2; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
D000975:Antioxidants; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D002374:Catalase; D009195:Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D010741:Phospholipases A; D054467:Phospholipases A2; D005978:Glutathione
Indicadores de estrés oxidativo en el cerebro de rata durante el envejecimiento. Efecto del factor de crecimiento nervioso.