[Effect of vitamin E on memory and brain monoaminergic neurotransmitter in chronic episodic hypoxia rat].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of Vitamin E (VitE) on memory and brain monoaminergic neurotransmitter level in chronic episodic hypoxia (EHYP) rat.


METHODS
VitE [50 IU/ (250 g.d) or 5 IU/ (250 g.d)] was given to the EHYP rat model. The memory was evaluated by the passive avoidance test and the levels of monoaminergic neurotransmitter, including norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), were determined in three different brain regions (including cerebral cortex, hippocampus and striatum) using high performance liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD).


RESULTS
The performance on passive avoidance test of EHYP rats was worse than that of controlled rats (P < 0.01). The performance of rats in two different treatment groups was better than that of EHYP rats (P < 0.05), the performance of rats in high-dose group was worse than that of rats in low-dose group (P < 0.05). Compared with controlled rats, levels of monoaminergic neurotransmitters in different brain regions of EHYP rats decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with EHYP rats, level of NE and DA in cerebral cortex and level of monoamine (NE, DA, and 5-HT) in hippocampus and striatum of low-dose treated rats were increased significantly (P < 0.05). Different with low-dose treated rats, only level of monoamine (NE, DA, and 5-HT) in striatum and level of 5-HT in hippocampus in high-dose treated rats were increased significantly (P < 0.05), as compared with the EHYP rats.


CONCLUSIONS
vitE can improve memory and increase brain monoaminergic neurotransmitter of EHYP rats. Moreover, the effect of low-dose vitE is better than that of high-dose VitE.
Xu
Yan
Y
Department of Neurology, PUMC Hospital, CAMS, PUMC, Beijing 100730, China. xuyan6246@sina.com
Li
Shun-wei
SW
Zhang
Yi
Y
Zhang
Jian-jun
JJ
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D014810:Vitamin E; D012701:Serotonin; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine