Improving effects of huperzine A on abnormal lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase in aged rats.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of huperzine A on lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and serum of aged rats.


METHODS
The level of lipid peroxidation was determined by thiobarbituric acid reactive substance method and represented as the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in wet tissue. The activity of SOD was determined by xanthine-xanthine oxidase method and represented as the nitrite unit per gram protein in wet tissue.


RESULTS
The levels of MDA and the manganese-SOD (Mn-SOD) activities in hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and serum of aged male rats were 2.3-2.8 times and 1.8-2.8 times, respectively, higher than those of adult male rats. Huperzine A (0.05 mg/kg, ig) lowered markedly the levels of MDA and the activities of Mn-SOD in aged male rats following 7-14 d consecutive administrations. The MDA levels in hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and serum decreased 44.7-52.8% (7 d) and 52.6-54.7% (14 d). The Mn-SOD activities in hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and serum lowered 25.0 -57.6% (7 d) and 56.0-74.2% (14 d). In adult rats, no marked change was found after 7-14 d consecutive administrations of huperzine A at a dose of 0.05 mg/kg.


CONCLUSIONS
Huperzine A improved the abnormal free radicals in aged rats.
State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
Y Z
YZ
Shang
J W
JW
Ye
X C
XC
Tang
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000470:Alkaloids; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
D000470:Alkaloids; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D005609:Free Radicals; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C050426:huperzine A; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase